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The Hostile City of Love and Antibodies of Hate
Urban Contestations of Identity and Belonging
Series: - Global Populisms, Volume: 5
Author:
Demirsu offers an engaging comparative analysis of antagonistic social actors co-existing in Verona, a mid-sized city in northeast Italy renowned as the fortress of the far-right. This rich multidimensional analysis explores the intersection of space, identity, and social movements, by delving into the evolution of competing actors and their contending positions on identity and belonging as manifested through urban spaces.
While the city and its touristic heritage are promoted for a transnational identitarian network, the protracted struggles of grassroots actors demonstrate democratic potentials for the bottom-up realization of inclusive and pluralist possibilities in hostile settings. The book traces the ways in which collective identity and collective action of social actors are shaped by their relationship to the space in which they operate, with ramifications for places beyond.
While the city and its touristic heritage are promoted for a transnational identitarian network, the protracted struggles of grassroots actors demonstrate democratic potentials for the bottom-up realization of inclusive and pluralist possibilities in hostile settings. The book traces the ways in which collective identity and collective action of social actors are shaped by their relationship to the space in which they operate, with ramifications for places beyond.
Ipek Demirsu is a research fellow at the University of Milan, Department of Social and Political Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science (Sabanci University, 2015) and a second Ph.D. in Sociology (University of Padua, 2022). Among her various publications in international journals such as the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Ethnic and Racial Studies, and Global Networks, she is also the author of the monograph Counter-terrorism and the Prospects of Human Rights: Securitizing Difference and Dissent (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017).
Preface
List of Figures and Tables
Abbreviations
Introduction: Cartographies of Belonging in a Mid-sized Italian City
1âSocial Space, Belonging, and Mobilization: The Role of Spatial Identities in Social Movements
â1âSpace, Territory, and Place-Based Identities
â2âThe Configuration of the City and Belonging in Cityspace
â2.1âPublic Space, Contending Identities, and Everyday Struggles of City-zenship
â3âSocial Movements in Social Space: Identity of Place and Place-Based Identities in Collective Action
â3.1âCollective Identity and Identity Politics
â3.2âSocial Movements, Spatialized Belongings, and Urban Mobilization
â3.3âProgressive Movements and Transformative Placemaking: Expansive Place-Based Identities
â3.4âSovereignist Identitarianism and Far-Right Movements: The Defense of Territory, Tradition, and the âNativeâ Identity
â4âConclusion
2âOne City, Two Movements, and Contending Constructions of City-zenship: A Multimethod Qualitative Research
â1âExtended Case Method and the City of Verona
â1.1âThe Extended Case Method
â1.2âThe Case of Verona and the Comparative Analysis of Competing Movements
â2âDoing Ethnographic Research, Offline
â3âDoing Ethnographic Research, Online
â4âQualitative Interviews
â5âDocuments and Archival Data
â6âVisual Methods
â7âData Analysis
â8âA Final Note on Reflexivity and Limitations of the Research Design
3ââVeronesi Tuti Matiâ: A Historical Analysis of Social Processes Shaping Identity of Place and Place-Based Identities
â1âA Brief Historical Account of Verona and the Making of Veronesità 
â2âA Different Neighborhood, a Different Spatial Identity: The Evolution of Veronetta
â3âThe Legacy of Fascism and Antifascist Resistance in Verona
â3.1âThe Imprints of Nazi-fascism on Urban Space
â3.2âLocal Resistance and the Legacy of Anti-fascism
4ââWe Hate Everyoneâ: Exclusionary Territorial Identity in the Making of a Laboratory of Intolerance
â1âThe Vestiges of Fascism and the Birth of Far-Right Movements in Verona
â1.1âPost-war Fascism in Italy and the Years of Lead in Verona
â1.2âProliferation of Far-Right Groups in the Veronese Urban Space
â1.3âCompetition to Territorialize the City: Extreme Right Groups Today
â2âTerritorial Belongings and Right-Wing Populism of Lega Nord
â3âCity Administration and the Institutionalization of Far-Right Movements since the 1990s
â4âA âHoly Allianceâ: Catholic Fundamentalism (Integralismo) and the Far-Right
â5âHellas Fandom and the Stadium as a School of Hate
â6âIdentitarianism Is the New Black: The Identitarian Label and Territorial Belongings
5âThe Antibodies of Hate in Verona: Spreading Expansive Place-Based Identity in an Outward-Looking Space
â1âThe Roots: A Historical Background of Secular Dissidence
â2âThe Constitutive Elements of the Antibodies of Hate
â2.1âLa Sobilla and the Heritage of Collective Memory
â2.2âThe Evolution of a Social Center âAlla Veroneseâ: La Chimica Before and After
â2.3âCircolo Pink and the Protracted Struggle for City-zenship of Sexual Minorities
â2.4âParatodos: Workshop of the Multitude in the Movement Scene of Verona
â2.5âNon Una di Meno Verona: Introducing Transfeminism in the City
â2.6âVeronetta 129: Making Cultures Cross Paths in Verona
â2.7âAfroVeronesi: Challenging Latent Claims of Whiteness in Belonging
â3âCollective Identity and Collective Action in Urban Space: Core Values, Issue-Based Formations, and Tactical Alliances of the Antibodies
â4âThe Neighborhood as Movement Space and Everyday Hubs of Counterculture
â4.1âGiardino Ex-Nani: From âCasa del Fascioâ to Social Street
â4.2âThe Red Triangle: Osteria ai Preti, Circolo Arci Cañara, and Malacarne Barassociazione
â4.3âArchival Space of the Collective Struggle: Info-Spazio 161 and the Legacy of Giorgio Bertani
â4.4âAntifascist Bookstore: Libre!
6âMovement-Countermovement Dynamics in and through the City: Practices of Territorialization and Competing Inscriptions of Belonging
â1âOne City, Two Territories, and Two Identities of Place: Veronetta and the Historical Center
â2âActs of Territorialization between Adjacent Social Spaces of Verona
â2.1âGuarding the Borders of the Historical Center
â2.2âDeterritorializing Practices in the Historical Center
â2.3âRevanchist Reterritorialization and âEthnic Resistanceâ in Veronetta
â2.4âEveryday Rituals of Placemaking as Resistance to Reterritorialization
â2.5âNaming as Territorialization
â2.6âUrbs Picta: Rewriting Belonging on Urban Space through Street Art
â3âGentrification, the Far-Right, and Future Projections
â4âStruggle over the Representation of the City: Verona, the City of â¦
â4.1âVerona Vandea of Europe
â4.2âVerona, the Transfeminist Open City
Conclusion: (Re)spatializing Collective Action between Identity of Place and Place-Based Identities
Bibliography
Index
List of Figures and Tables
Abbreviations
Introduction: Cartographies of Belonging in a Mid-sized Italian City
1âSocial Space, Belonging, and Mobilization: The Role of Spatial Identities in Social Movements
â1âSpace, Territory, and Place-Based Identities
â2âThe Configuration of the City and Belonging in Cityspace
â2.1âPublic Space, Contending Identities, and Everyday Struggles of City-zenship
â3âSocial Movements in Social Space: Identity of Place and Place-Based Identities in Collective Action
â3.1âCollective Identity and Identity Politics
â3.2âSocial Movements, Spatialized Belongings, and Urban Mobilization
â3.3âProgressive Movements and Transformative Placemaking: Expansive Place-Based Identities
â3.4âSovereignist Identitarianism and Far-Right Movements: The Defense of Territory, Tradition, and the âNativeâ Identity
â4âConclusion
2âOne City, Two Movements, and Contending Constructions of City-zenship: A Multimethod Qualitative Research
â1âExtended Case Method and the City of Verona
â1.1âThe Extended Case Method
â1.2âThe Case of Verona and the Comparative Analysis of Competing Movements
â2âDoing Ethnographic Research, Offline
â3âDoing Ethnographic Research, Online
â4âQualitative Interviews
â5âDocuments and Archival Data
â6âVisual Methods
â7âData Analysis
â8âA Final Note on Reflexivity and Limitations of the Research Design
3ââVeronesi Tuti Matiâ: A Historical Analysis of Social Processes Shaping Identity of Place and Place-Based Identities
â1âA Brief Historical Account of Verona and the Making of Veronesità 
â2âA Different Neighborhood, a Different Spatial Identity: The Evolution of Veronetta
â3âThe Legacy of Fascism and Antifascist Resistance in Verona
â3.1âThe Imprints of Nazi-fascism on Urban Space
â3.2âLocal Resistance and the Legacy of Anti-fascism
4ââWe Hate Everyoneâ: Exclusionary Territorial Identity in the Making of a Laboratory of Intolerance
â1âThe Vestiges of Fascism and the Birth of Far-Right Movements in Verona
â1.1âPost-war Fascism in Italy and the Years of Lead in Verona
â1.2âProliferation of Far-Right Groups in the Veronese Urban Space
â1.3âCompetition to Territorialize the City: Extreme Right Groups Today
â2âTerritorial Belongings and Right-Wing Populism of Lega Nord
â3âCity Administration and the Institutionalization of Far-Right Movements since the 1990s
â4âA âHoly Allianceâ: Catholic Fundamentalism (Integralismo) and the Far-Right
â5âHellas Fandom and the Stadium as a School of Hate
â6âIdentitarianism Is the New Black: The Identitarian Label and Territorial Belongings
5âThe Antibodies of Hate in Verona: Spreading Expansive Place-Based Identity in an Outward-Looking Space
â1âThe Roots: A Historical Background of Secular Dissidence
â2âThe Constitutive Elements of the Antibodies of Hate
â2.1âLa Sobilla and the Heritage of Collective Memory
â2.2âThe Evolution of a Social Center âAlla Veroneseâ: La Chimica Before and After
â2.3âCircolo Pink and the Protracted Struggle for City-zenship of Sexual Minorities
â2.4âParatodos: Workshop of the Multitude in the Movement Scene of Verona
â2.5âNon Una di Meno Verona: Introducing Transfeminism in the City
â2.6âVeronetta 129: Making Cultures Cross Paths in Verona
â2.7âAfroVeronesi: Challenging Latent Claims of Whiteness in Belonging
â3âCollective Identity and Collective Action in Urban Space: Core Values, Issue-Based Formations, and Tactical Alliances of the Antibodies
â4âThe Neighborhood as Movement Space and Everyday Hubs of Counterculture
â4.1âGiardino Ex-Nani: From âCasa del Fascioâ to Social Street
â4.2âThe Red Triangle: Osteria ai Preti, Circolo Arci Cañara, and Malacarne Barassociazione
â4.3âArchival Space of the Collective Struggle: Info-Spazio 161 and the Legacy of Giorgio Bertani
â4.4âAntifascist Bookstore: Libre!
6âMovement-Countermovement Dynamics in and through the City: Practices of Territorialization and Competing Inscriptions of Belonging
â1âOne City, Two Territories, and Two Identities of Place: Veronetta and the Historical Center
â2âActs of Territorialization between Adjacent Social Spaces of Verona
â2.1âGuarding the Borders of the Historical Center
â2.2âDeterritorializing Practices in the Historical Center
â2.3âRevanchist Reterritorialization and âEthnic Resistanceâ in Veronetta
â2.4âEveryday Rituals of Placemaking as Resistance to Reterritorialization
â2.5âNaming as Territorialization
â2.6âUrbs Picta: Rewriting Belonging on Urban Space through Street Art
â3âGentrification, the Far-Right, and Future Projections
â4âStruggle over the Representation of the City: Verona, the City of â¦
â4.1âVerona Vandea of Europe
â4.2âVerona, the Transfeminist Open City
Conclusion: (Re)spatializing Collective Action between Identity of Place and Place-Based Identities
Bibliography
Index
The book would be of immediate interest to scholars and students in the fields of political sociology, urban studies, critical geography, and social movement research. It is also of relevance to policy practitioners, research centers, and civil society actors.