An interesting aspect of the demonstration was the news coverage. It was the subject of a parliamentary interrogation today. A month before the elections B unilaterally designated the directors of the national TV news programs, appointing a notorious sycophant as head of the national banner news on the first channel. Augusto Minzolini had earned a reputation as a news "shark" were it not for his outspoken servilism, his unabashed worship of all things berlusconian. To borrow from Catania's jargon, he's the sort of shark that dwells in cisterns.

Close the parenthesis. The center of Rome was blocked by angry earthquake victims. It was worse than Gheddafi. Yet all that Minzolini has to transmit is a service on the rebuilding of the student's House in Aquila. It is only in the evening that the news transmits a service on the chaos in Rome.

Today B went back to Aquila to put together more photo-opportunity services. Reporters and unsympathetic onlookers were strictly forbidden to approach the areas where il Gran Fava was filming his propaganda shorts.