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(Italy) NO TAV Women’s Day: Reclaim Dissent!

italy calling | 08.03.2012 20:27 | South Coast | World

Responding to a call out made by women within the movement a few days ago, today around 100 NO TAV women met up in Susa to “have a chat” with the local Mayor (a woman herself).



he protesters bumped into the Mayor just outside the Council House and informed her they would “make a visit” to the meeting that had been planned in the morning.

A heated debate followed, where the protesters demanded the Mayor justify her support of the TAV project. The Mayor attempted to defend her position and highlighted everything would be done to “decrease the impact the project will have on the local area”. Furthermore, she added that the local authorities cannot undo the decision made by the government to carry on with the works.

An elderly lady from the Valley who will see her own house demolished received no words of comfort from the Mayor, who confirmed her fears over the effect the works will have on the health of local people (respiratory damage from dust, for example).

At the end of the meeting, the No TAV women offered the Mayor bouquets of tear gas painted in yellow: the only flowers that will ever grow in Valsusa if the TAV project is allowed to be completed (in Italy it’s tradition to give yellow mimosa flowers to women on International Women’s Day).

The initiative comes after a week of a blanket propaganda campaign orchestrated by the mainstream media against the NO TAV movement. Apart from the same old divisive arguments about good vs bad protesters, one article in particular has stood out, published in a supplement “for women” sold by the newspaper Corriere della Sera. Just to give you an idea of its incredibly sexist rhetoric, I’ve translated the title and summary:

“NO TAV: The defeated women of the Val Susa
The female metamorphosis of the protests. Once they would set up improvised nurseries, they would cook, they would shyly smile while holding their wire-cutters. Today they carry out violent direct actions, come from social centres, and instead of woolly hats they wear balaclavas”

…I think that says it all, doesn’t it? As a woman, you might be allowed to protest, as long as you do it in a “womanly” way, within the stereotypes: in the kitchen, looking after children, smiling shyly behind your long fringe. If you’re bold and step out of the sexist stereotypes, then you’re not a woman anymore…if you can read Italian, have a read yourself. The article was followed by a wave of outraged responses by the NO TAV and other feminist and activist sites, here is a good collection (all in Italian, sorry).

Happy Womyn’s Day to All Beautiful Rebellious Womyn All Over The World!

Sources of info and pictures: this article on notav.info and the links mentioned above.

More on the NO TAV movement and other radical news from Italy on:
 http://italycalling.wordpress.com

italy calling
- Homepage: http://italycalling.wordpress.com/

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

Electrify the World's Railways, as they are environmentaly Friendly

09.03.2012 06:50

There are questions as to why the women's liberation are protesting this Lyons Speed train. Well from a long distance, I believe that has a reason that partly originates with the ouster of the last Billionaire President, and the hence forth need of the workers to take ownership and control of this main communtiy project.

It is the fact that this is a proposed speed train, and it is a planned function of the bosses' monopoly captialist system, which would function to the speed up of the monopoly capitalist system, and not the community to which the workers live in. The workers prefer slow moving electricity trains with full comfortable convieniences, and not unfriendly freaked-out speed bosses trains that are in antagonistic contradiction with the natural communities that they run through. Workers of the world, unite!! You yet have a world to win!!

A blacklisted CNR--CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY-- Yardforeman-Conductor.
End pollution wars, not endless wars for more and more pollution. Viva Moe, and Red Kennedy!

Unity Jack


Getting Spartaco Mortola suspended...

10.03.2012 15:24

Just to let the NO TAV campaign know, next month Spartaco Mortola who is chief of police in turin and who commands most of the riot forces committed to Val De Susa, should be suspended from duty because of his conviction and crimes at the Diaz school during the Genoa G8.

Nessuno


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