Security clamp down on Spanish and Italian Social Movements
Imc Uk | 30.09.2001 22:00 | Repression | World
After the hijacked airplane attacks on key buildings in the USA western security forces have begun outlining new "anti-terrorism" measures. These seem to include the criminalisation of Europe's social movements. As a result, in the Spanish State 24 activists have recently been arrested, and in Italy 60 people are accused of 'association leading to terrorism'. Meanwhile Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berluscony, claims links between "Islamist terrorism and the anti globalisation movement", by declaring that they have a "strange unanimity" and that "both are the enemies of western civilisation".
In the Spanish State, the Social movements of Catalonia are being singled out, and since last January they are suffering an unprecedented repressive offensive not seen in such a scale since Franco's times. Antimilitarists, anticapitalists, social centres, okupas, emigrants, amongst other groups, are being continuously harassed and repressed often under the draconian Spanish Anti-Terrorist laws. This campaign of criminalisation has been carried out through a series of political and security plots promoted directly from the Central Government Delegation in Catalonia and the Spanish Ministry of Interior, in which the Security forces, corporate media and the judiciary are joining efforts in this "war on terrorism".
Meanwhile several reports of physical and psychological torture are coming out of police stations and jails, and a campaign of support for these arrested is now taking place with demonstrations and actions in several cities of Catalonia. Activists from Terrassa have affirmed that "the objective of this criminalisation campaign is to hinder our mobilisation capability, as well as to try to isolate our movement from civil society."
- Read full story | Demo Photo
- Communique by the Social Movements in Catalonia
- Click here to demand the immediate release of all these arrested or in jail.
- IMC-Barcelona dossier (Spanish)
In Italy, on Tuesday 18th of September, 100 raids were carried out by police in several anarchist Social Centres, squats and private homes all over the country. 60 people are formally under investigation for association leading to terrorism. The blitz was part of the State Prosecutor investigation into the movement "Solidarieta' Internazionale".
On the other hand, the Pinelli Social Center in Genoa and the Memorial to Carlo Guliani, the activist shot dead by the Carabinieri during the G8 protests last July, were targeted by fascist fire bombs on Sunday 16th of September. Many activists in Italy have been claiming links between the Italian security forces and neo-fascist groups, as well as fearing a return the State's repressive campaigns of the 70's and 80's.
- Full report on ainfos
- IMC-Italy
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