Heavy repression against anti- EU summit protestors in Rome
imc-Itlay/imc-nl translated by Libby | 04.10.2003 20:34 | Globalisation | Repression | World
Today tens of thousends of protestors marched through Rome opposing the EU Summit that was taking place to discuss the European Constitution.
Over 70.000 protestors took to the streets of Rome on Saturday against the EU-summit of 25 heads of state. At this EU-summit they will mainly discuss the European Constitution. The largest demo was to head for the congress centre but was stopped by the police. At about 18.30 the police were “cleaning up” the demo through continuous charges and teargas-assaults. In the morning there were roadblocks that intended to block, or at least disrupt the summit. At 11.42 the “disobbedienti”, an Italian activist group, blocked one of the main roads in the city. There was also an action against the temping office “Adecco”. The European Trade Unions also marched through Rome. From September 29th till November 2nd the squat “L38Squat/laurentinokkupato” is organizing DIY weeks, workshops and a self managed hostel facility.
Even if the police denied there were so called “red zones”, the area was swarmed with some 9.000 cops, that weren’t only there to guard the European Summit, but also set up along the trajectories of the main demo. Groups of 20, 50 or 200 policemen were positioned throughout the whole zone, to protect sensitive objects and buildings, but also to get into action in case of “irregularities”. At about 11.30 they charged for a first time to disperse a group of activists that were throwing rolls of toilet paper at the Palazzo Chigi and the riot police standing in front of it. The police do seem to behaving as bad as they did in Genoa in 2001.
Even if the police denied there were so called “red zones”, the area was swarmed with some 9.000 cops, that weren’t only there to guard the European Summit, but also set up along the trajectories of the main demo. Groups of 20, 50 or 200 policemen were positioned throughout the whole zone, to protect sensitive objects and buildings, but also to get into action in case of “irregularities”. At about 11.30 they charged for a first time to disperse a group of activists that were throwing rolls of toilet paper at the Palazzo Chigi and the riot police standing in front of it. The police do seem to behaving as bad as they did in Genoa in 2001.
imc-Itlay/imc-nl translated by Libby
Comments
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Photos
04.10.2003 20:43
uio
Video
04.10.2003 20:46
uio
Rome 4 Oct - Shut Down Fortress Europe
04.10.2003 20:47
see the bastards kicking for fun
And more foto links
lov
More photos
04.10.2003 20:54
Would be good if anyone could translate more reports from the Italian sites, or if Englsh speakers who were there could post reports here. Esp. info about prisoners/repression and anything people can do to help.
Fuck the EU!
Smash Capitalism and Patriarchy!
The G8 is coming to England in June 2005!
uio
What was the EU Conference all about?
04.10.2003 21:14
The meeting was another step along the way towards creating Single European Army, tighter, more co-ordinated immigration controls, a more effective 'security'/repression apparatus: Europe for the rich.
There was an article in yesterdays (4th October 2003) Guardian that outlines the areas of conflict (from their left-liberal perspective, of course). It might be worth a look at:
uio
quick comment
05.10.2003 23:34
there was not heavy repression. there was violence by the cops ofcourse but give the massive amount of police we were lucky, perhaps more to due the political volatility of beating us all up, they didn't masacre us.
have a look at this for example
that's about 5% of the visible police presence!! They were lined all along the route. Perhaps this is why the disobedienti negotiated their "action" with the cops before hand to the extent that the cops removed the barricade separating them and the diSOBs so they could have a pretend confrontation. when a few others thought they would throw some stones etc. at the cops too (they must have thought there was an actual confrontation going on) the diSOBs tried to beat them up. this was pure spectacle and the tv directors would have nothing of people spoiling their show.
This is not to say the black bloc spectacle was not much better. they fell hook, line and sinker for a bunch of bank windows which for some reason were the only ones that didn't have their shutters down. i wonder why that was?
anyway the diSOBs obviously have learnt nothing from their massacre at genoa where they decalred a spectacular war and got a real one. they are playing the same games today. they should be thankful something similar didn't happen. no movement seems to have occurred in the last 2 years in their pitiful brains.
a/b