Genoa Update

Last issue we reported on the Genoa G7/8 summit. The story was compiled as news came in and some details have now been clarified. Thank-you to everyone at the EF! Gathering who shared experiences.

Firstly we got some dates wrong (doh!). The Asylum seekers’ solidarity march took place on Thurs. July 19th. According to participants the march stayed calm and had a good atmosphere despite the presence of loads of armed cops. Local Genoese seemed supportive of the protests.

It was Fri. 20th when it all kicked off. That day’s plan involved 8/9 separate groups approaching ‘zona rossa’ by different routes. This included women’s, pacifist, carnival, dockers, civil disobedience (mainly leftists) and black block routes.

Some people felt that, given this plan, confrontation with the authorities was inevitable. The majority of participants were from leftist groups and the anarchists’ organisation was lacking. Whilst some other groups have been critical of the Black Block, there was a feeling they and the militant trade union Cobas, were the only ‘groups’ who had considered a heavy violent police response likely and thought about how this might be dealt with. Some noted the Leftist groups seemed have used traditional Left organisation (rally, march etc.) for direct action and this had left them unprepared for the police response. Police used a lot of tear gas and armoured vehicles to break barriers and disperse crowds.

Eyewitnesses suggested around 250,000 were on Saturday’s Labour march and the atmosphere was tense due to the murder on Friday of Carlo Guiliani.

Other points made to us were that the injury toll on protesters was probably greater than we reported and that the detention experience we listed on Sat. 21st occurred after the GSF and IMC raids on Sunday.