'Respect local Christian traditions or leave' - Italian town given two weeks to remove signs

A government agency in Italy has ordered a small town to remove signs that ask visitors to respect their Christian traditions or leave.

The town of Pontoglio in the Lombardy Region erected signs that read, "Paese a cultura Occidentale e di profona tradizione Cristiana. Chi non intende rispettare la cultura e le tradizioni locali e invitato ad andarsene." Roughly, it is translated as, "Country of Western culture and profound Christian tradition. Those who will not respect the local culture and traditions are asked to leave."

According to Giornale di Brescia, the Infrastructure Ministry deems that the signs "didn't respect the Highway Code" and has ordered the town to take them down within two weeks. The code only allows signs that provide motorists with information, such as routes, services, locations, and the like. Moreover, brown background, explains Il Giorno, is for tourist and cultural information.

The signs were put up in December last year, with Mayor Alessandro Seghezzi explaining to the local council that it was to promote security as well as to keep the town's values.

"Today we're living in a transitory period," he wrote, according to RT. "It's our job to ensure that all comply with rules that govern civil life."

Part of the letter was also quoted by Breitbart as saying that it is "...an invitation to respect the culture and traditions. A culture that is based on mutual respect: from the woman to music, from the costumes, from customs to the traditional rites. Respect for others, is for us, the first real form of civilisation and liberty."

Presumably in response to critics, local councilor Paolo Bocchi said that the message had "nothing racist about it.

"These are just the interpretations being made," he said. "This is purely information about our history, our tradition."

Since December, the town had been asked to remove the signs.