We Demand that the Fascist Balbo Monument donated to the city of Chicago in 1933 by war criminal and white supremacist Benito Mussolini be taken down immediately. Italo Balbo, the monument's name sake was a fascist and Mussolini’s right-hand man who oversaw the brutal occupation and destruction of North Africa during World War 2.

Today that monument still stands in Chicago’s Burnham Park as an enduring symbol of white supremacy and racism. The inscription on that statue puts to rest any doubts about its intent, declaring it to be a gift from “Fascist Italy” to commemorate the “Roman Imperialism" of Balbo. The monument openly celebrates "the eleventh year of the fascist era."

With American fascism once again on the rise, it’s more important than ever for us to make clear that we will not tolerate the celebration of white supremacy. The veneration of fascism has no place in Chicago.

We demand the immediate removal of the Balbo Monument and the re-naming of Balbo Street as "Ida B. Wells Way." We demand that every racist monument in Chicago and across the country be taken down immediately!