Rastafarian ideology prefigures the relationship between reggae music and marijuana”, according to this sentence they want to ban Rototom Sunsplash, one of the most important reggae festivals in Europe. At the same time they risk to set a precedent that would describe as a criminal everyone promoting reggae culture in Italy.

We say no to any religious discrimination and to the criminalization of Rototom Sunsplash. We defend our free consciences, our freedom of speech and our freedom of thought. We claim our rights to live in peace, brotherhood and fraternity. We reclaim the right to have a better world!

Rototom Sunsplash, through its President Filippo Giunta, is the object of a criminal investigation.

The festival is charged of breaking Article 79 of the Fini-Giovanardi Law, possibly the most ideological norm of this despicable law. According to the charges, Rototom Sunsplash “facilitates” the use of cannabis, merely for the fact that it is a reggae festival.

Indeed, the accusations state that “Rastafarian ideology provides for a close link between reggae music and marijuana” and consequently, since the festival was attended by “persons who, in the context of the musical event and relative cultural environment, devoted themselves to the use of drugs, in particular hashish and marijuana”. Hence Filippo deserves a jail sentence (from 3 to 10 years).

A similar interpretation of the law could target anyone who organizes even the simplest reggae gig: for this reason alone they could be charged with “facilitating marijuana consumption”.

Moreover, the fact that Rototom has “always shown - both publicly, privately and on the media – an attitude of intolerance to the work carried out by representatives of public order – is clearly stated on the charges: will this be considered as an aggravation?

Also the Mayor of Osoppo, Mr. Bottoni, together with other three persons, is under investigation: he has been accused of abuse of authority, since he allowed us to open a camping area outside the venue, a sort of emergency camping ground to welcome all those who would arrive to the festival and find no space to set up their tents.

On Monday, November 2, at 11.30 am, we will hold a press conference at the “Visionario” cinema in Udine, where, together with a number of guests, we will explain our points of view and announce our next steps.

We hope that once again you will be by our side, in what promises to be the hardest challenge of all.

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Article 79 of the law disciplining stupefactives and psychotropic substances, and the prevention, care and rehabilitation of the respective addictions: as per Law Decree no. 309 issued by the President of the Italian Republic on October 9, 1990, comma 1 is amended as follows:

«1. Whoever sets up or allows to set up premises, be they open to the general public or classified as private clubs, which are meeting places for persons who consume stupefactives or psychotropic substances, will be sentenced to jail, for this fact alone, for a period of time ranging from 3 to 10 years and fined an amount ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 euro if the substances are those listed in Tables I and II».