ACTIVISM

Liliana Segre

Activist

A 90-year-old survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp who in 2018 was appointed as a senator for life in her native Italy, Liliana Segre didn’t imagine that she would need round-the-clock police protection at this stage of her life. But after she called for the creation of a committee to combat racism and antisemitism, Segre was inundated with death threats on social media, receiving as many as 200 in a single day. Segre has continued to speak out undeterred, however, winning the admiration and support of much of the Italian public. A rally last December saw thousands of citizens of Milan escort Segre to city hall, with the crowd singing the anti-fascist anthem “Bella Ciao” along the route. (Photo: Wikimedia / Creative Commons License)