Luca Casarini Pied in New York

nolympics | 05.05.2003 21:49

Luca Casarini Pied in New York

Volunteers of the Biotic Baking Brigade landed a multilayered cream and strawberry pie in the face of Luca Casarini just before he was to speak at the feminist bookstore, Bluestockings, in the Lower East Side. Casarini is the self described 'leader' of the Disobbiedienti (a current of the Italian anti-capitalist and anti-war movement that was once popular but is now not so sweet due to half-baked behavior on the part of its leader). Some examples incude: the taking over of anarchists' actions in Torino and other parts of Italy, the disruption of the Bologna Social Forum and the attempt to lead the dockworkers war resistance in Tuscany, which ended with his being driven off physically by the workers.

The doughy Pie-zano was frosted sucessfully on his way into the store where a crowd had gathered to hear a presentation on anti authoritarianism and academia. Casarini made one good point though - the movement is now as globalized as capital. One consequence of this is that self-styled 'leaders' will be held accountable for their actions and cannot escape by touring new territories and "re-branding" themselves. No flakeout! Video available at the link below. Pied!

nolympics
Homepage: http://italy.indymedia.org/uploads/lucapie.mov

Comments

Hide the following 16 comments

What?!?

06.05.2003 10:21

This really does seem counterproductive. Aren't there about a million better targets than someone who is part of the anti-capitalism movement? What about soldiers, politicians, business people, fascists, nationalists, police informants, tv news presenters? Instead you go for someone who is politically active, on the left, and seen as a leader, but probably spends more time doing activism that the activists who pied him! Whats the point - to pretend there are no such thing as people who 'lead' and 'organise'? Would you have pied Bakunin if he rose from the grave? Are these a bunch of male hating extremist-feminists with a grudge?

This seems like one of the most stupid 'pieings' i've heard of yet - get real!

how sad you are

06.05.2003 12:36

how sad you are with your pathetic actions - no let's not try and build unity between different people in the movement - whom I wonder whether any of the people who pie'd Luca have done half as much as him to help the anti-cap movement (ironically if you knew him you'd know he is not happy with being seen as a leader). But then of course the bigger question is can you have a movement without leaders? To which the answer is no.

unity

Thankyou

06.05.2003 16:31

Thankyou, thankyou! This has made my day! A brilliant and humorous way to expose an arogant authoritarian leader. The real anti-capitalist movement has hit back!

Wayne

tasty

06.05.2003 20:50

Anyone familiar with the Italian movement will recognize that this was a well earned pie indeed. Imagine if some posers from the SWP were to go around the world claiming to represent the anti-capitalist movement in the UK and sounding very anti-authoritarian, while meanwhile at home they were usurping and and undermeining the actions of the real movement. Sound familiar? yes, his words sound sweet, but take the time to find out with what regard he's held in Italy. Just desserts!

crustacean

bust up at bluestockings

06.05.2003 22:48

theres a usefull discussion in English of the goings on with dissobidientti and white overalls at the link. Casarini was hit for specific reasons outlined in a flyer distributed at the bookshop. one was the attempted (violent) take over of anarchist activities in the north east, another the effort to lead the anti war resistance of Tuscan dock workers, against their wishes. The pieing drew attention to the difference between what Casarini says he's doing and what he is doing.

http://italy.indymedia.org/news/2003/05/276455_comment.php#277776

good-pie Luca
Homepage: http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=03/04/13/6398956

Luca C. bashing makes me sick

07.05.2003 03:00

c'mon.... get real, in several occasions in the past years I had the chance to observe how Luca C. and his friends do politics; these people really work hard... while anyone can have faults, most of the criticism I have read about Luca C. are false and based on mis-information and ignorance of the situation in Italy. I am a militant in a group where there are people who in the past had problems with Luca and his friends form Padova -at times it is obvious that there are disagreements within the movement- however, Luca C. is a very committed, effective and knowledged political activist.... he has been travelling around the world to liase with political struggles structures, but he never pretended to be a leader for the whole Italian movement -he is a Paduans and he speaks for his sisters and brothers in Padua who have chosen him as their spokesperson.......

I am not sure why I am spending the time "defending" , perhaps is because for the last 10 years, be it in Mexico or Genova, Nizza, Amsterdam or Palestine, I remember him or other Paduans always in the front line risking their arces, struggling for their believes -this guys are effective, they dedicate their lives to the struggle and although we might have some differences it bothers me to see people jumping on the wagon of Luca-Casarini-bashing while having no clue of what they are talking about ......

I am sure that if only half of all of those who are criticizing this guy in the various indy-sites where as active as Luca C. is, the world would be a better place.....

less words and more concrete facts dear comrades-

hizbu'llah

hizbu'llah

couldn't agree more

07.05.2003 10:24

couldn't agree more with the last comment - I'm totally fed up with people making lame arsed uses of the word 'authoritarianism' - while the REAL authoritarians messrs Bush and the white house cronies continue there global pillage - the CIA would be proud of you

get real - get a life

do something and stop moaning and attacking our own

anti-capitalist

Casarini for PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

07.05.2003 14:31

Does anyone know why Casarini and his Paduan brother and sister are allowed to beat up anarchist, to deploy them "army"to hit troublemakers while exchanging symphaty whith institutional party?The people who calls for Unity should not forget that who broke the unity are the one who try to make the movement homogeneous to them ideas.Being an italia you can translate the activism of MrCasarini who always in some way escape the justice and even police beatings in "connections" with powerful leftist Bourgeousie
Whom had lost or are losing them power after fifty years of
"magna-magna" and are trying to infiltratte them tentacles everywhere even through the "anti-global" movement by protecting and instructing young people and obviously manipulating them with promises of some kind of future position in society all just to regain them power.
Does anyone know why Casarin was running to be Padua's mayor with a very authoritarian Party?
Mind italian dirty politics in the best european republic of "Bananas"!!!!!!!

al-sabbah

How false is this article!

07.05.2003 15:31

The article (among other falsities) says: "Some examples incude: the taking over of anarchists' actions in Torino"

I am from Torino, and I would like to know about this fact... if you refer to the 30th November provocation of 10 skins that claimed of being assaulted by the Disobbedienti (you can imagine.. the manifestation they tried to 'block' was 30,000 strong, and despite their claim they were able to stay unmolested among the manifesters until the end of the manifestation), well, you are very badly informed. Or maybe you are consciously distorting the facts?

Explain yourself, please!

dingo

sense of proportion

07.05.2003 18:42

From what I understand, the Torino reference refers to an incident following the death of an anarchist a few years ago.
I can't believe people are making it out like Casarini has been wronged. Really, folks, he's a tough guy, he can take it - its only a pie. Better to send your sympathies out to the countless people in Italy who've been alienated and silenced by Casarini's atrocious behavior in recent months. Compared to this, a pie is a very peaceable gesture towards the goal of creating an honest and accountable movement.

pied piper

just a good laugh

07.05.2003 18:59

Well, a pie is a pie is a pie, but this discussion need a few clarification points:
people in Italy are well aware of the degeneration of the disobeddienti. In other places, (such as NY), people are not informed about this, and now will be inspired to find out more for themselves. Casarini needs to be accountable for his behavior, wherever he goes. A pie is a humorous reminder of this basic thing. the previous project of yabasta and white overalls were important contributions to the developments of italian movement today.
unfortunately, Casarini goes to public debates and demos often accompanied by fine gentlemen that threaten and insult those that express dissent, and have ended up in fist fights with other people in meetings more that once. Perhaps the sweetness of a pie is a non-violent de-escalation of the debate over substantive things.

Brigitte

just a pie!

07.05.2003 19:25

Well, a pie is a pie is a pie, but this discussion need a few clarifications...
in Italy people there are well aware of the degeneration of the disobeddienti. In other places, (such as NY), people are not informed about this, and now will be inspired to find out more for themselves. Casarini needs to be accountable for his behavior, wherever he goes. A pie is a humorous reminder of this basic thing.
Casarini goes to public events often accompanied by fine gentlemen that threaten and insult those that express dissent, and have ended up in fist fights with other people in meetings and demos more that once.
Perhaps the sweetness of a pie would not allow for such extremes, but it could well have ended up with serious harassment of the pie-er. Actually, this incident is a non-violent de-escalation of the debate over substantive things.
at the event, disobedientis laughed, and the event went on without much engaging with the issues raised by the action.

Brigitte

just a pie!

07.05.2003 19:30

Well, a pie is a pie is a pie, but this discussion need a few clarification points:
people in Italy are well aware of the degeneration of the disobeddienti. In other places, (such as NY), people are not informed about this, and now will be inspired to find out more for themselves. Casarini needs to be accountable for his behavior, wherever he goes. A pie is a humorous reminder of this basic thing.
In italy Casarini goes to public debates not only with great intellectuals, but often accompanied by fine gentlemen that threaten and insult those that express dissent, and have ended up in fist fights with other people in meetings and demos more that once.
Perhaps the sweetness of a pie is a non-violent de-escalation of the debate over substantive things.
I hope the pie will help engaging with the issues raised by the action.

brigitte
mail e-mail: ggg@kudos.com

clarification

07.05.2003 20:09

the torino incident referred to recalls the suicide of Edoardo Massari in police custody in 98. edoardo was an anarchist squatter and demos were held in the city following his death. at the time Casarini showed up as the 'leader of the north eastern squats' and created a media storm with rounds of interviews etc. this went down like a brick in the local scene and was certainly something Massari would have dissaproved of.

as to hysteria suggesting that the pieing was an escalation or an act of movement vandalism/sabotage, I couldnt disagree more. a cursory look over the debate on Italian indymedia proves the popularity of the act in Italy. Years ago daryl Cherney of earth First was pied, (he was with Judi Barri when her car was bombed by the FBI and worked closely with her) for reasons not dissimilar to those behind the casarini action. Some people dont listen, or dont hear criticism. the pie is a graphic political critique, not an effort to isolate someone or expel them from the movement. Casarini took it well and he will have the oppurtunity to debate his critic on Italian radio this coming friday, should he so choose to.

good pie luca

background info

07.05.2003 20:12

Here's some background info on why this guy was pied... (not from mainstreamedia who would be happy to jump on this all for the wrong reasons)

here is an article by some Santa Cruz anarchists on Casarini:

also see article titled: The European
Social Forum:Sovereign and Multitude
in:

And also this statement from Wu Ming collective in Italy, which was previously an ally of White Overalls:

The White Overall as a symbol of openness and mythopoesis does not exist anymore, at least in Italy. The network of activists that used to wear the overall has disbanded in the second half of 2001. Some of them formed a group called "i Disobbedienti" (the Disobedients). The Wu Ming collective has nothing to do with them: we regard them as a party with a hierarchy and a permanent leadership, in complete discontinuity with the features that made the White Overalls great and effective.

stef

pie people say...

10.05.2003 19:25

new statement from BBB at the link

baker
Homepage: http://slash.autonomedia.org/article.pl?sid=03/05/10/175240&mode=thread