Lotta Continua

In Italy, a far-left, extra-parliamentary movement founded in 1969. From 1972 it also published the newspaper of the same name, which ceased publication in 1981. The movement itself was dissolved in 1976.

Lotta Continua was a far left political party in Italy, involved in the autonomism movement. The first issue of Lotta Continua 's eponym newspaper was published in November 1969, a few weeks before the December 12, 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing, which is considered as the beginning of Gladio's strategy of tension. Lotta Continua focused on work spreading radicalisation from students and youth to workers, and played a large role in setting up social centres.

The group's leadership included Adriano Sofri, Mauro Rostagno, Guido Viale, Giorgio Pietrostefani, Paolo Brogi and Marco Boato. At first a loose grouping with a focus on spontaneous action, it was centralised between 1972 and 1974, with its paper becoming a daily.

During the 1980s, most of Lotta Continua 's representatives abandoned their original ideology. Marco Boato and Mimmo Pinto went to the Radical Party, others worked on TV (RAI or Fininvest) or in various newspapers. Only a few of them, such as Marco Revelli or Fulvio Grimaldi, took membership into Rifondazione Comunista.