TERRORIST ON UNIFORM STRIKE AGAIN IN ITALY AND SPAIN
LEON CZOLGOST | 20.03.2009 15:52
Demonstrations have taken place in several cities of Spain and Italy on 18-03-2009 and other days. The riot police has behaved in a manner that, at least in Spain brings memories from the times of the Dictatorship...
In the morning of 18-03-2009 one of the buildings of the Universidad de Barcelona was evicted by the riot police. The building had been occupied since at least December. At the beginning the students did not expect what happened but once outside they decided to block the traffic by sitting down in the middle of the road, just in front of the evicted building. The riot police charged with fierce brutality and arrested at least two people. The hostilities continued during the rest of the morning with cops every where on the city centre chasing students and beating anyone they found in their way.
In the afternoon, another demonstration was called which also ended up in a total slaughter by the terrorists on uniform, who did not even hesitate in beating up any passerby they came across and even a 10 year old child has been reported.
Once they reached more safer areas of the city centre, where the streets are narrower, some groups of students managed to block them and throw some stones to the police. Anyhow the general mood was one of demoralizaton, impotence, and contained rage. Some think that the conflict needs to take an step further and give way to a more "serious" face. Let's hope it happen.
In Italy similar events took place especially in Rome, in front of the University "La Sapienzia".
Both student movements have the aim of stopping the implementation of the so-called "Plan Bolonia" which would turn the university into an appendix of the capitalistic companies (even more) and would leave it under the total control, and completely ruled by the interests of the forces of the free market. In Spain, university education it is not free (you need to pay very high fees), unlike anonther European countries such as Greece or Bulgary. Still the plan Bolonia would bring a much more competitive and elitist model of Higher education and probably an increment in the fees. It would also allow the entrance of the companies in the campuses and so reinforce the role of University as a mere factory of specialized and docile workforce. Some students (naive as it may seem) still think in Spain that the Education should be free from both fees and its manipulation by the interests of the market and the state. They want to make the University a place of public meeting and self management.
A significant number of Spanish students are showing a growing interest in the way their Greek peers managed to stop "Plan Bolonia" in their own country.
LET'S THEN FOSTER THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY.
DOWN WITH THE STATE, DOWN WITH CAPITALISM!!!
SELF MANAGEMENT IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES.
In the afternoon, another demonstration was called which also ended up in a total slaughter by the terrorists on uniform, who did not even hesitate in beating up any passerby they came across and even a 10 year old child has been reported.
Once they reached more safer areas of the city centre, where the streets are narrower, some groups of students managed to block them and throw some stones to the police. Anyhow the general mood was one of demoralizaton, impotence, and contained rage. Some think that the conflict needs to take an step further and give way to a more "serious" face. Let's hope it happen.
In Italy similar events took place especially in Rome, in front of the University "La Sapienzia".
Both student movements have the aim of stopping the implementation of the so-called "Plan Bolonia" which would turn the university into an appendix of the capitalistic companies (even more) and would leave it under the total control, and completely ruled by the interests of the forces of the free market. In Spain, university education it is not free (you need to pay very high fees), unlike anonther European countries such as Greece or Bulgary. Still the plan Bolonia would bring a much more competitive and elitist model of Higher education and probably an increment in the fees. It would also allow the entrance of the companies in the campuses and so reinforce the role of University as a mere factory of specialized and docile workforce. Some students (naive as it may seem) still think in Spain that the Education should be free from both fees and its manipulation by the interests of the market and the state. They want to make the University a place of public meeting and self management.
A significant number of Spanish students are showing a growing interest in the way their Greek peers managed to stop "Plan Bolonia" in their own country.
LET'S THEN FOSTER THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY.
DOWN WITH THE STATE, DOWN WITH CAPITALISM!!!
SELF MANAGEMENT IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES.
LEON CZOLGOST
Additions
Some more info and background about Barcelona's demos ....
20.03.2009 16:45
On Wedensday 18h in the early morning (6:30am) the Catalan police force (Mossos d'Esquadra) violently evicted the 4 month long continuous occupation of Barcelona's Central University. This occupation was the focal point of the student movement against the EU's Bologna Treaty, which basically turns universities into business and education into a profit making enterprise funded by corporations.
Under Spanish law, police is forbidden to enter universities - or university's property - unless the Dean of the institution actually allows it or demands it to the Ministry of Interior. It is very rare that this happens, but on Wednesday morning the Dean of the university actually asked for the police intervention. A reason for this may be that one of the key demands of the occupation was the Dean's resignation, after he refused to engage in negotiations with the students.
It is also worth to point out that the Catalan police force depends directly from the Catalan autonomous government (and not the Spanish Ministry of Interior), and more specifically run by the Catalan Ministry of Interior, which, by the way, it's minister is an ex-member of the Catalan Communist Party. In fact the whole Catalan Government is made of a coalition of ex-communists, greens, left nationalists and the Catalan Socialist Party. The so-called left coalition is in power in Catalunya for the last 5 years, but still, Wednesday early morning eviction resulted in 4 students arrested and over 20 injured due to police violence, some of which needed hospital treatment. See video of the eviction here:
http://e.static.blip.tv/cache/1891138/
Later in the day hundreds of students turned up at a demonstration called outside the Catalan Department for Education to protest against police brutality that had taken place earlier on the day. Again, this was met with more police violence when the crowd was repeatedly attacked with baton charges. Clashes then spread around the area with the result of more arrests and injuries. See the video here:
http://blip.tv/file/1891860
Another call to take to streets was hastily made for 8pm, to concentrate in front of the Central University building that had been evicted in the early morning. More that 5000 people followed the call against police brutality and in support of those arrested and injured throughout the day. Police again repeatedly attacked the demonstration trying to prevent it from moving into the Portal de l'Angel area, which is one of the main shopping avenues in downtown Barcelona. This resulted in more clashes that lasted for several hours when groups of protestors spread around the area. See video of the evening demonstration here:
http://blip.tv/file/1893943
Reports are now talking of around 10 people arrested on the day, and over 80 having been injured. Demonstrations of support have been taking place in other Spanish cities, including Madrid, Sevilla and Zaragoza. Wednesday's events represents a clear escalation in state repression against the Catalan student movement. Things are definitely hotting up in Barcelona, in Catalunya and throughout Spain. There are several unions talking about a a general strike, banks have been occupied in several cities, people are very pissed off about the banks bail outs, and the student movement is getting stronger by the day. Many people seem to be saying ''enough is enough", and the Argentinian "they all must go!" seems to be increasingly resounding across the country ... and the average holiday package brochure doesn't mention any of this, does it?
Under Spanish law, police is forbidden to enter universities - or university's property - unless the Dean of the institution actually allows it or demands it to the Ministry of Interior. It is very rare that this happens, but on Wednesday morning the Dean of the university actually asked for the police intervention. A reason for this may be that one of the key demands of the occupation was the Dean's resignation, after he refused to engage in negotiations with the students.
It is also worth to point out that the Catalan police force depends directly from the Catalan autonomous government (and not the Spanish Ministry of Interior), and more specifically run by the Catalan Ministry of Interior, which, by the way, it's minister is an ex-member of the Catalan Communist Party. In fact the whole Catalan Government is made of a coalition of ex-communists, greens, left nationalists and the Catalan Socialist Party. The so-called left coalition is in power in Catalunya for the last 5 years, but still, Wednesday early morning eviction resulted in 4 students arrested and over 20 injured due to police violence, some of which needed hospital treatment. See video of the eviction here:
http://e.static.blip.tv/cache/1891138/ Later in the day hundreds of students turned up at a demonstration called outside the Catalan Department for Education to protest against police brutality that had taken place earlier on the day. Again, this was met with more police violence when the crowd was repeatedly attacked with baton charges. Clashes then spread around the area with the result of more arrests and injuries. See the video here:
http://blip.tv/file/1891860 Another call to take to streets was hastily made for 8pm, to concentrate in front of the Central University building that had been evicted in the early morning. More that 5000 people followed the call against police brutality and in support of those arrested and injured throughout the day. Police again repeatedly attacked the demonstration trying to prevent it from moving into the Portal de l'Angel area, which is one of the main shopping avenues in downtown Barcelona. This resulted in more clashes that lasted for several hours when groups of protestors spread around the area. See video of the evening demonstration here:
http://blip.tv/file/1893943 Reports are now talking of around 10 people arrested on the day, and over 80 having been injured. Demonstrations of support have been taking place in other Spanish cities, including Madrid, Sevilla and Zaragoza. Wednesday's events represents a clear escalation in state repression against the Catalan student movement. Things are definitely hotting up in Barcelona, in Catalunya and throughout Spain. There are several unions talking about a a general strike, banks have been occupied in several cities, people are very pissed off about the banks bail outs, and the student movement is getting stronger by the day. Many people seem to be saying ''enough is enough", and the Argentinian "they all must go!" seems to be increasingly resounding across the country ... and the average holiday package brochure doesn't mention any of this, does it?
maqui