Genoa: 10 years on

July 21, 2011 Anarkismo

Ten years have gone by. The very day after those tragic events of July
2001, along with Carlo's parents, we were demanding the truth and justice
for that body lying on the ground in Piazza Alimondi, that young life
ended by two shots from a pistol fired by those who are supposed to be the
protectors of "law and order". We also demanded truth and justice for the
hundreds of women and men during those days in Genoa who were maltreated,
beaten and humiliated by those who are supposed to be the protectors of
law and order.

Ten years have gone by, but we have still had precious little truth and
even that has been thanks to alternative media sources. Of justice we have
still yet to see any at all.

It is bitter, though not surprising, to think that in this country - known
throughout the world for its unsolved massacres - State officials found
guilty of abuse against defenceless citizens do not have to answer for
what they have done and go on wearing their uniforms and indeed, in many
cases, get promoted; it fills us with indignation but comes as no surprise
that here, in this unfortunate country, a killing on the streets in broad
daylight at the hand of members of the forces of law and order should be
hushed up without even a hint of a trial. Neither is anyone surprised by
the fact that the person who as it were politically directed the
activities of the armed forces in those days in Genoa should still be a
member of parliament, with one of the highest positions in the State.
Someone who certain areas of the "left" even consider a credible political
partner!

Italy is a country where with each budget more and more is stolen from the
poor and given to the rich, a country where dying in workplace accidents
no longer makes the news, where it is only too easy to spend your working
life flitting from temporary contract to temporary contract and be derided
by a Minister of the Republic for your troubles, a country where
foreigners who seek a better life are committing a crime and are expelled
(or even shot at while they are still at sea), where common goods (i.e.
those goods which belong to all citizens) are sold off or simply given to
Capital. A country whose political class has fully adopted the neo-liberal
ideology and infused it with racist and xenophobic overtones.

The Italy which hosted the G8 in Genoa 10 years ago is not much different
than today's, or that of the past. Faced with tens of thousands of people
from all over the world who wanted to show that another world was
possible, to debate questions of common interest, to shout out their
opposition to neo-liberal economic policies, the State could only do what
it always does: it offered armoured vehicles, provocation, repression,
with some wire mesh and a red zone thrown in for the occasion. In other
words they sought to reduce the demands of that wide, variegated,
intelligent and determined popular movement into a simple matter of public
order.

But that worldwide, visionary movement that died in Genoa in 2001 with
Carlo did leave its social and political testament, which in time was
adopted once mroe by those who fight against the destruction of the
environment, the privatization of common goods, for the right of free
movement of people, against war and military spending, against racism and
xenophobia, for dignity and safety in the workplace, for the right to work
and against casualized work, for the redemption of all the Souths in the
world.

We anarchist communists, we libertarians, were there in Genoa in 2001 just
as we have always been present wherever we need to defend and allow
humanity to progress in the face of barbarity. We are still here today and
we will be tomorrow, in the social, political and labour struggles,
bringing with us our ideals, our ideas and our vision.

"We have a new world in our hearts"

Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici
21 July 2011

   Meeting point for demonstration: 4.00pm in Piazza Settembrini. March
to Piazza Caricamento at 5.00pm leaving from Piazza Montano in
Sampierdarena.


Related Link: http://www.fdca.it