I came into Firenze on the No Sweat bus. At 5am Thursday the bus was stopped at the Swiss/Italian border and we were ordered off the bus. Thorough baggage and body searches were made and the coach was searched three times. There were 19 male police and one woman to do the female body searches. All our passports were taken away for about an hour and after boarding the bus we waited. Ten minutes later Mick, (organiser of No Sweat,) was removed from the bus and labelled as "electronically undesirable" and denied entrance to Italy for the next week. I heard that a German coach was held at the border for five hours. The Schengen Treaty which normally allows for no border controls when travellers go from country to country in the 15-nation grouping has been suspended. There was an obvious contrast between the messages from local and central Government. The Mayor of Florence welcomed participants to the ESF and facilitated free accommodation and a five Euro travel pass. I saw lots of signs with his welcoming message hanging in the buses in town. Many Florentine businesses had been warned by mainstream media to close because there would be violence and un-rest. The media message promoted and assumed the ESF would be another Genoa. This proved totally untrue and by Thursday lunchtime many places were beginning to open again. There was a vast programme of seminars, workshops and activities. The main venues were very crowded and I went to workshops out of town which were participatory and small. It seemed the delivery was very trad in the main venues - large conference halls with speakers in rows on stages up front. I was overwhelmed by the number of people shoving socialist propaganda in my face. I'm happy to hear all views but it was intense and too full on for me, especially when the WSF/ESF policy is no political parties. There was apparent discrimination on who could present "official" seminars. Mainstream groups, far left politicised groups and union reps got the 'in town' venues and the smaller groups were marginalised to the outskirts of town. There was a predominance of reps from Attac, (continental Europe,) and Globalise Resistance from the UK. Hence the existence of two autonomous spaces including The Hub, also control centre for Indymedia Italia. The financial costs to a group who wanted to present in the main venues was prohibitive - big money. The programme was varied and I valued the workshops I went to. The WDM (World Development Movement) organised Gats seminar was so overcrowded they cut it in half to run it twice - people still couldn't fit in the room and sat outside waving their translation receivers. The organisers were amazed that a global trade agreement could be so popular. I'm completely shocked that signing GATS means a potential WTO overuling of all Governmental laws relating to goods and services. This would include regulators of privatised services. Outraged that all goods and services with more than one provider are open to purchase by any one business or group. I wonder how it will feel when my children are educated and examined by the bidder with the most cash. Delighted that organic wine was 40 pence a glass and the rain had stopped.

On Saturday I came into Firenze central at 10 am. The city was very crowded - all the cafes and restaurants were closed and many of us were hungry and thirsty. I saw one open cafe, one open shop and a kiosk at the railway station. This is what really affected me first thing. I was concerned about lots of people getting impatient due to low blood sugar. (This could have been due to my caffeine withdrawal problems.) The numbers were overwhelming, the organisers (ESF) had originally said to begin moving at 3 pm. Due to the enormous crush of people heading out of town in all directions people had to begin walking. I watched people moving forward from the Fortressa, (main ESF venue,) at about noon. I believe people ahead of them started walking earlier. At 6 - 6.30 pm I watched the Italian TV news. (Italians call demos a "Manifestazione.") The live video footage and reporting showed a huge mass of people waiting to BEGIN walking. It was impossible to see the beginning or the end of the Manifestation. As for transport impossibilities, I was walking with many people who lived in Florence - not all of us needed transport. I smiled while listening to the Mayor of Tuscany on TV, he said "the people of Florence should apologise to the people of the European Social Forum for assuming bad behaviour and for closing their businesses on Saturday" - also adding that those who did open up made "lots of money." There was much TV talk of the peaceful behaviour and joyful attitudes of the people on the streets. Uniformed police were almost nowhere. I spotted them twice up a couple of side streets. Lots of police helicopters flew over and the people cheered and waved jubilantly. Supporters ringing bells and hanging peace flags from windows were also recipients of clapping and cheering. The atmosphere was electric. So very happy and life changing. I felt like I was taking part in Italian history. I spoke to someone from Milano. He said that the general strike attracted one million in the North and seven million in the south. He described Italians as accustomed to being out on the streets protesting. The event was organised superbly. An amazing time was had by all; despite being freezing cold, hungry and thirsty. IMHO the exact numbers are irrelevant, the happening and critical mass is what matters and even so...I cannot resist saying ...I noticed that some of the comments posted on Indymedia were on the web by 7:50pm Sat Nov 9. The Manifestation had barely finished at that time so comments posted before the end have to be factually inaccurate. The ESF manifesto is "Un altra europa e possible" - "Against the neoliberalism, war and racism." Lots of criticisms could be made but they would be niggles in my book. The fact that these events happened is a good start - nothing is perfect. We can make a start though - boycott the World Bank: more at www.aseed.net