Justice after Genoa



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Justice after Genoa?
Why we need a People's Tribunal to investigate.
There is no question something very bad happened in Genoa, Italy during the recent g8 Summit. At least one person died, hundreds were beaten, and more than two hundred were imprisoned, though the charges against most have been dismissed (though not all). The people of Genoa suffered from the brutality of great walls dividing their City, denied free movement, and intimidated by seas of riot cops and police vans, as well as destruction of some of their property.
Still, there are investigations by Italian Parliamentarians, the EU Parliament, a few EU Ministers, Amnesty International, as well as civil rights cases being pursued by Genoa Social Forum, and some individuals. What is another investigation intended to accomplish?
Simply put, a lot.
While we support all the investigations in progress, and will cooperate with them when asked we see that there are some severe shortcomings to their methods.
While some of the political investigations may be well intended, they do not originate in the Anti-Globalization movement and are not accountable to it. The tactics and motives of even sympathetic Italian or EU politicians are affected by considerations which many of us could not accept and these investigations are not seeking the broad input of the ordinary people who were in Genoa. As to the investigations of NGOs such as Amnesty International, while admirable, they are focused on very specific legal issues and definitions, and intended only to determine the answers to a few questions Likewise the legal cases of GSF and other individuals are focused on specific questions and issues and will not necessarily help us better understand the broad picture of what happened between the 16th and 26th of July.
While there has been considerable reporting in the alternative press, and even a little in the Corporate Media, you would be wrong if you thought that what happened in Genoa is now well understood. What we have now is basically a fragmented and anecdotal compilation of a few individual stories combined with some conventional wisdom to tie it all together.
And finally and very importantly, most of the investigations now in progress will not produce any results any time in the near future.
This is not good enough.
It is not good enough for the memory of Carlo Gulliani, shot in the head in Genoa, it is not good enough for those still in prison, and it is not good enough for those terrorized by the events in Genoa. What we need is an open, accountable, public investigation by ordinary citizens unhampered by political considerations, where everyone is invited to offer their testimony (the people of Genoa, the protestors and all others with relevant information), the results of which will be available to all interested parties.
We need to make a record of everything that happened in Genoa, good and bad, happy and sad, so that those who were not there can appreciate the successes and failures of the Anti-g8 Mobilization, and those who engaged in crimes against human rights can be unambiguously named and held accountable for their acts.
Those of us who were there know that presented with the facts, any reasonable person will understand the nature of the atrocities at Genoa, and so we at genoaResistance are organizing a People's Tribunal that will take place on the weekend of the October 20th Mobilization. For this to be a success we are asking you to tell us what happened to you in Genoa. Not just the facts and figures but also what your opinions, good or bad, about what happened, personal anecdotes, and thoughts on what was done right and what should be done differently in future.
We are also asking for nominations to our panel of civilian judges. If you know someone who should be on it, let us know.
Genoa should not and will not be forgotten.
francisco rojas, genoaResistance





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