Lotta Continua

Lotta Continua
Formation1 November 1969 (1969-11-01)
Dissolved6 November 1976; 47 years ago (1976-11-06)
TypeFar-left militant movement
PurposeProletarian revolution
Grassroots political activism
Workerism
HeadquartersRome
Location
  • Italy
Founder
Adriano Sofri
Giorgio Pietrostefani
Principal ideologists
Toni Negri
Mario Tronti
Raniero Panzieri
Key people
Adriano Sofri, Giorgio Pietrostefani, Enrico Deaglio, Marco Donat-Cattin, Gad Lerner, Gianfranco Bettin, Erri De Luca, Giovanni Lindo Ferretti, Alexander Langer, Marino Sinibaldi, Marco Rizzo, Costanzo Preve
Main organ
Lotta Continua
Lotta Continua

Lotta Continua (LC; English: Continuous Struggle) was a far-left militant organization in Italy, during the historical period of social turmoil and political violence in the country known as the "Years of Lead". Its leaders Adriano Sofri and Giorgio Pietrostefani ordered the assassination of police officer Luigi Calabresi in 1972. Militant Cesare Battisti later joined other organizations and repaired in France after being convicted for four homicides. Some other militants later joined the more famous Red Brigades. After the disbandment of the organization, various former militants became influential Italian politicians, journalists or writers.

Lotta Continua was founded in autumn 1969 by a split in the student-worker movement of Turin, which had started militant activity at the universities and factories such as Fiat. The first issue of Lotta Continua's eponymous newspaper was published in November 1969, and publication continued until 1982 after the organization disbanded in 1976.