Genoa G8: Seven Days In Italy
From July 21st-23rd leaders of the world’s 7 most economically powerful countries and Russia met in the Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, Italy at a cost of $200m (£140m). With the G7/8 summit fortified within the now infamous Zona Rossa (red zone), surrounded by 12ft high steel barriers rooted in concrete and guarded by 20 000 police, more than 100,000 of the ‘uninvited’ gathered outside. While about 3/4 of the Genovese population had left town, those opposing the summit arrived in droves utilising parks, car parks and the beach to converge and make plans. The Genoa Social Forum (GSF), a loose coalition that had sparked the mobilisation hosted a vast festival like counter conference on the beach with talks workshops and music. We’ve tried to sketch a brief picture of what happened in Genoa, but reports were numerous sometimes contradictory, www.indymedia.org has more.
Mon 16th and Tues 17th
The police raids start. 2 Social Centres in Turin are raided along with the homes of suspected radical groups and individuals in Turin, La Spezia, Milan, Naples, Padua, Genoa and Florence.
Fri 19th
70,000 march through Genoa in solidarity with the millions seeking asylum. Around lunch time it all kicks off, allegedly after demonstrators are denied permission to march to a prohibited area. Windows are smashed, banks targeted and an attack made on the perimeter fence. The police respond with tear gas, water cannons, batons and at one point live fire. A young man is shot dead then run over by a police jeep.
Saturday 21st
20,000 attend a labour march and cycle along the seafront. Riots continue; banks, commercial buildings and cars are totalled and a petrol station is ransacked. Several attacks are made on the steel fence. The police continue to crack heads. One detained man states that he was taken into a room covered with pictures of Mussolini and pornography and alternately slapped around and then stroked with affection in a weird form of psychological torture.
Sunday 22nd
More riots. Then at 0120hrs Monday hundreds of police storm 2 schools, one hosting the independent Media Centre (IMC) and one used by the GSF for non-violent direct action training, allegedly looking for weapons - none are found. People are lined up, have their IDs taken, then are systematically beaten. At least 35 people are hospitalised and eyewitnesses report pools of blood inside and outside the buildings. Several people are transferred direct to jail from hospital against the wishes of doctors.
During the summit at least 500 people were injured (probably around 1:2 Police to protesters) and scores were arrested. Afterwards Canadian premier, Jean Chretien, announced the next G7/8 meeting will be in Kananaskis, a remote Alberta mountain resort that will be relatively easy to defend, unlike Genoa.