Lega stages anti-burqa protest at Pontida rally and pushes for national face-covering ban

Demonstration on the Pontida stage

Activists from the French right-wing feminist collective Nemesis joined Lega Member of the European Parliament Anna Maria Cisint on stage at the annual party rally on the Pontida meadow on 20 September 2026. Four women wearing black burqas stepped in front of the crowd before removing the full-face coverings in a coordinated protest against what they described as the Islamisation of Italy. The audience joined the demonstration with chants of "Take it off, take it off", while the activists shouted "Freedom, freedom". Nemesis, an all-women political group founded in France in 2019 by Alice Cordier, partnered directly with Cisint to deliver the demonstration. Cisint used her speech to attack radical Islam, political opponents on the left, and mainstream feminist groups.

Where are the red feminists in front of little girls forced to marry? Lega is not afraid, only cowards kneel. Whoever does not respect our values and our laws must leave. Others talk, Lega is the only barrier to Islamic fundamentalism.

Legislative drive against face coverings

The demonstration on the meadow reflected an ongoing legislative campaign by Lega against religious face coverings in Italian public life. In March 2026, party lawmakers led by Senate Vice President Gian Marco Centinaio and Senate group leader Massimiliano Romeo filed a bill in the Italian Senate to ban niqabs, burqas, and related garments in public spaces. The measure specifically targets public offices, schools, and hospitals to ensure identity verification and protect female autonomy. The draft law also creates a specific criminal offence for forcing another person to wear a face covering through violence, threats, or abuse of authority, penalising violations with up to three years in prison and fines of up to 30,000 euros.

The threat is radical Islam, we will never allow our home to be Islamised, never.

Broader party policy on schools and worship

Lega expanded its policy agenda on religious attire earlier in the year through additional legislative and administrative proposals. In May 2026, Cisint joined fellow Lega MEPs Silvia Sardone and Susanna Ceccardi to present a broader anti-radicalisation package that includes a ban on all Islamic veils in schools for girls under 14 years old. That package also includes draft regulations addressing the operation of places of worship and incoming foreign funding for religious organisations. In August 2026, Italian Minister of Education Giuseppe Valditara announced ministerial measures designed to prohibit entry into schools with fully covered faces.

Salvini addresses party unity

Federal Secretary Matteo Salvini addressed the gathering following the stage demonstration, receiving an ovation lasting more than five minutes from the crowd. Wearing a white shirt, Salvini placed his hand on his heart as supporters chanted his name alongside the traditional party slogan celebrating his leadership. Cisint told the audience that she had coordinated the party legislative package directly with Salvini, while perimeter barriers around the field carried the banner slogan "The foreigner shall not pass". Salvini directed his remarks toward maintaining internal stability following demands from northern party factions for a more decentralized party leadership structure.

Lega wins only if united, strong, and free from North to South.