IMC NEWS BLAST | Tuesday, July 24, 2001
GENOA G8: What happened?
A compilation of breaking stories, photos, video, and sound from the
Independent Media Center network, http://www.indymedia.org. (Links to various sources of IMC
coverage of Genoa G8 are at end of this blast.)
by Indymedia News Blast Team
CONTENTS
-----------------
A. SUMMARY OF EVENTS
B. ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS
C. BACKGROUND AND COMMENTARIES
D. PHOTOS AND VIDEO
E. AUDIO
F. PRINT
G. THE GENOA SOCIAL FORUM (GSF)
H. SELECTED ALTERNATIVE PRESS LINKS
I. CONTINUING IMC COVERAGE
A. SUMMARY OF EVENTS
Over 200,000 people converged on Genoa, Italy this past weekend to express
dissent against the closed meetings of the Group of 8 and the policies they
espouse and to discuss alternatives to the current undemocratic nature of global
social and economic planning. The 'G8' - leaders of the world's most
economically powerful countries - meet yearly to discuss general international
policy directions.
Solidarity demonstrations against the G8 summit and the police violence
that has characterized it, have been organized worldwide in Amsterdam, Athens,
Barcelona, Bologna, Boston, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Finland, Greece, Helsinki,
Istanbul, London, Los Angeles, Madison, WI, Manchester, Melbourne, Miami, Milan,
Montreal, Naperville, IL, New York, Oslo, Paris, Peru, Philadelphia, Portland,
Rome, Salzburg, São Paulo, San Francisco/Berkeley, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto,
Turkey, Urbana, IL, Vancouver, Vienna, and Washington DC and in many other
cities in Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, UK, USA, and elsewhere. A call for
further solidarity protests is here: http://www.geocities.com/protest666/protest.htm and listing
of some of the protests here: http://www.geocities.com/protest666/planned_actions.htm
Another IMC NEWS BLAST will be prepared later this week to summarize news
on emerging stories, including details of the Sunday morning raid, jail
situation, and solidarity protests.
B. ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS
Violence against protesters in Genoa continued to escalate on Sunday, July
22. Numerous personal accounts of demonstrators being gassed, chased
through the streets and beaten by police, despite participating only in
non-violent marches, fill the newswires. Seemingly no one was immune;
reports came of beatings of women and men, young and old alike. An IMC newswire
story Monday noted that a confirmed 500 protesters remained missing.
Reports are coming in of very bad treatment of protesters in jails. Sunday,
in the early morning hours, police carried out a vicious raid against the GSF
offices (Genoa Social Forum, www.genoa-g8.org), the Italy IMC and the protest legal
offices, with extremely brutal actions directed at sleeping protesters in the
GSF. Reports have come in of over 70 injuries in this assault alone and of
as many as 26 of these people taken to the hospital after being severely beaten.
Amnesty International is investigating human rights violations.
1. FROM JUNE IN GENOA (English)
by June Terpstra
Eyewitness accounts from Italian-American June C. Terpstra. This series of
stories from streets of Genoa are full of color, front line reporting, critical
insight, and revolutionary passion.
7/24: Visions of Liberation and Love: Real Revolutionaries:
2. REPORT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE JAILS AND POLICE STATIONS IN GENOVA
(English)
by Pet Kuna 2:06am Tue Jul 24 '01
From article: "On monday, july 23rd, a group of media activists were
allowed to visit some of the Imprisoned in the jails and prisons in Genova.
Report from the jail "Vercelli": The media activists could speak to three women,
five minutes each. The women declared that they all have been beaten, when they
were arrested and/or in jail/at the police station. The wounds at their heads
and in the faces emphazised the reports. The situation of the men seems to be
much more serious. The three women told that they could hear the men beeing
tortured and "punished" throughout the whole night."
3. RESPONSE TO POLICE RAID ON GENOA SOCIAL FORUM AND IMC ITALIA OFFICES
(English)
by by IMC Ad Hoc Genoa Solidarity Committee
This offers a summary of the brutal raid of GSF offices and the destruction
confiscation of property at the IMC press offices. Mission and nature of IMC are
discussed. History of state attempts to suppress IMC and some of IMC successes
are summarized.
4. GSF PRESS CONFERENCE, GSF, 22 JULY 2001 (English)
by IMC reporter 11:03pm Sun Jul 22 '01
Notes from press conference by the Genoa Social Forum, Sunday, July 22,
2001. The conference was broadcast live by RadioGap and simultaneously
translated by several people from Italian to English in an irc chat
room.
5. HORRIFIC RAID ON GSF AND IMC GENOA: REPORT (English)
From this article about the GSF building raid, "Later after more arrests in
the street the police and fleet of ambulances departed, ... [we gained] access
to the building. Inside the sight was sickening. There was thick dark blood all
up the walls, over the floor and at the bottom of stairs. It looked like several
people had been beaten while on the ground from the blood patters low down on
the walls. The scene was horrible. Even the ambulance staff were obviously
shocked. ... The local media and other reports have said police where there
searching for weapons or drugs. No, it is obvious why they were here. The
testimonies of people in both buildings, the blood on the street and inside the
school and the number seriously injured in this so called search tells the true
story." (Followed by forty comments after the article.)
6. GENOA. MANY EYEWITNESS REPORTS FOR POLICE RAID OF IMC ITALIA
GSF
by Independent Media SF. July 21 2001, Sat, 8:39pm
This article offers list of eyewitness reports of July 22, 2001 police raid
(around midnight) on Italy Indymedia Center and also other Genoa Social Forum
buildings nearby and across the street in Genoa, Italy.
7. STARHAWK'S REPORTS (English)
by Starhawk
Starhawk is a noted author and organizer who was in IMC offices near the
time of the raid.
8. FATHER OF DEAD PROTESTER 'SORRY' FOR POLICEMAN (English)
by by Matthew Campbell and John Follain, London 1:40pm Sun Jul 22 '01
This article shares the reaction of parent's of Carlo Giuliani to death of
their son, reactions of protesters, and summarizes some of events of
Saturday.
9. REPORT FROM BLACK ACTION 7/20 (English)
by alien8 2:19pm Sat Jul 21 '01
During the past two days, the expression "Black Block" has been linked to
mindless destruction, splits in the movement, and even "agents provocateurs".
This is a report of a Black Block demo early on Friday, July 20th, which was
part of the numerous attempts to breach the red zone.
(Followed by 29 comments after story.)
10. G8 MEDIA WATCH
Seeing what the corporate media covers...
C. BACKGROUND AND COMMENTARIES
Some writers in the movement see Genoa as a crossroads for the alternative
globalization movement, facing fragmentation from internal differences or
increasing influence in challenging global forces of domination. Although most
reports from the corporate media focus on the violence, some have begun to
consider the movement's positions and question the legitimacy of the extensive,
repressive police build-ups in response to popular protest.
1. DON'T LET THEM REVERSE OUR MOMENTUM
Posted by Aggie, Written by Michael Albert
"We must attract and sustain ever wider and more lasting support. Our
demonstrations must include so many people, with so many backgrounds, from so
many parts of society and so many societies, that the effect of elites utilizing
wild and intimidating repression will not be to diminish our size and capacity,
but to enlarge both. We must make Bush and Berlusconi's favored tactics benefit
us, not them. That is the road to victory."
2. FROM SEATTLE TO GENOA AND BEYOND
by Lauren Langman 9:16pm Mon Jul 23 '01
Lauren Langman shares insights from his study of the growing alternative
globalization movement. He is a Professor of Sociology at Loyola University
Chicago. He is also chair of the Marxist Section of the American Sociological
Association, co-moderator of the Progressive Sociology Network, past organizer
of several Radical Scholar's Conferences, author of a number of papers on the
alternative globalization movement, and currently co-editing a book on
same.
3. THE ROAD FROM GENOA: WHERE TO NOW? (English)
by workers power global 7:41pm Sun Jul 22 '01
They write, “Genoa represents a crossroads for the movement. It can become
- as the radical movements of the late 1960s did - a detonator for mass working
class resistance. Or it can suffer the fate of the US Black Panthers, who were
systematically hunted down and imprisoned in order to strangle a potential mass
revolutionary movement.”
4. DECLARATION OF WAR IN GENOA
by Josef 3:03pm Sun Jul 22 '01 (Modified on 8:51pm Sun Jul 22 '01)
Josef starts, "G 8 has declared war on us the people. If it was still
necessary to clarify, after similar facts in Seattle and Montreal [sic, Quebec
City], now there is no doubt: The G 8 leaders have declared war on the people in
the streets..."
5. ANARCHIST/BLACK BLOC MOTIVATION EXPLAINED
by James Anon 11:54am Sun Jul 22 '01 (Modified on 7:01pm Sun Jul 22
'01)
By explaining the motivation behind using these street fighting tactics,
especially from the Black Bloc perspective, this article hopes to sooth some of
that anger and suggests some ways we as a movement can move forward concerning
the disagreement over forceful or non-violent direct action. (Over ten comments
follow article.)
6. GOTHENBURG TACTICS USED IN GENOA (English)
by Tord Björk 6:35am Sun Jul 22 '01
New methods of repression against Summit protesters used at the EU-US
Summit in Gothenburg 14-16.6. They include shooting at activists, container
walls and storming of schools, etc.
7. COMMUNIQUE FROM NYC-YA BASTA! & NYC-DAN IN GENOA
by NYC-Ya Basta! & NYC-DAN 10:30am Mon Jul 23 '01
Concerning the attack on the Independent Media Center and Fascist/police
coordination during the G8 Summit.
8. BABELE A GENOVA / BABEL IN GENOA (Italian, English translation in
comments)
by Eleanor Chiari 3:21pm Sun Jul 22 '01
Commentary on TV media and other coverage of G8 in Genova.
9. WHAT THE PROTESTERS IN GENOA WANT (English)
by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, 6:42pm Fri Jul 20 '01
By best selling authors of recently released _Empire_, a call for global
democracy. They write: “We see seeds of that future already in the sea of faces
that stretches from the streets of Seattle to those of Genoa. One of the most
remarkable characteristics of these movements is their diversity: trade
unionists together with ecologists together with priests and communists. We are
beginning to see emerge a multitude that is not defined by any single identity,
but can discover commonality in its multiplicity.”
D. PHOTOS AND VIDEO
On Friday, July 20, Carlo Giuliani, a 23-year-old activist, was shot and
killed by police and then run over by a police vehicle. Outrage over Carlo's
death and the reported injuries to over 500 people from police wielding batons
and ramming by police vehicles has generated severe criticism of the Italian
government and G8. While Government officials point the finger at protesters
linked to the black block, whose tactics include property destruction of
selected targets, such as bank windows, numerous accounts of police in disguise
committing the most violent acts continue to come into the newswire and have
even filtered into the corporate news. Photo, video, and audio reporting from
the protests tell a different story from that in most of the mainstream
press.
1. GSF AND IMC RAID
by IMC
Photos of the raid.
2. SEQUENCE OF PHOTOS OF THE SHOOTING OF CARLO GIULIANI, WITH
NARRATION
by R. Alford 12:52am Mon Jul 23 '01
A sequence of the photographs from multiple sources in a Microsoft
Powerpoint presentation with narrated observations about the images. Alford
suggests that the photos support the position that the shooting clearly does not
qualifiy as justifiable homicide under the Italian legal codes. Size:
0.5MB.
Note: See alternative press section below, link 5., for website with photo
gallery of the shooting of Carlo.
3. STOP G8! MORE PICS FROM GENOVA
by csoa molino 12:50pm Mon Jul 23 '01
4. SEVERAL CLIPS (Italian)
by kanalB
Short recordings of a speech/talk and an interview segment.
5 POLICE BRUTALITY AGAINST YA BASTA! MEMBER
Runs 49 sec.
6. Collections of Genoa photos and videos:
E. AUDIO
1. BLICERIO - THE DAY AFTER (English, mp3)
by Wankstor X. Muzzlebutt 4:42pm Sun Jul 22 '01
Blicero, a coordinator with IMC Italia, reflects on what Indymedia must do
to continue to resist increasingly repressive regimes around the world. He also
provides a first-hand reaction to last night's police violence at the IMC and
the school across the street. Runs 5:24 min.
2. RADIOGAP DURING THE STORMING (Italian)
Runs 4:42 min.
3. BBC REPORT OF IMC/GSF RAID BY EYEWITNESS (English)
Sympathetic report by Bill Hayton of the BBC, who was in the IMC-Italy
building as it was raided, and saw the aftermath of the GSF beatings. (mp3
audio)
4. REPORT ON THE RAID, G8 MEETING, AND ALTERNATIVE GLOBALIZATION MOVEMENT
(English)
Account of raid by Patrick Beckett, and American reporter with Free Speech
Radio News who was in the IMC-Genoa as it was raided on Sunday morning. He
shares some general thoughts on the movement, state response, and G8 meeting.
Runs 16:51 min.
F. PRINT
See Indymedia print summaries (in distributable newsletter/flier
format)
special edition: 22 July 2001
· Violent raids on journalists, sleeping protestors in Genoa
· G8 leaders fail to solve climate negotiations
special edition: 20 July 2001
· Italian police shooting to kill
· 100,000 take to streets to protest G8 summit in Genoa, Italy
Flier promoting Indymedia coverage:
G. THE GENOA SOCIAL FORUM (GSF)
In addition to the marches and rallys, the GSF hosted a week-long counter
summit that brought together organizations and groups from around the world who
are seeking alternatives to the current destructive policies pursued by Western
governments. They hold that "The international importance of this summit
represents a challenge to [work] with different methods and priorities -
principles of social justice, solidarity, and just and sustainable
development."
Like other recently created forums, the GSF was inspired by the World
Social Forum ( http://www.worldsocialforum.org/) which was held earlier
this year in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Similar people's forums have occurred at all
major global justice/alternative globalization mobilizations since
Seattle.
Topics last week included discussions on fighting global poverty and
inequality, globalization and work, and mechanisms for global democracy. The GSF
website ( http://www.genoa-g8.org) offers important articles,
logistic advices, legal information and news updates. (Main website is in
Italian with links to pages in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese,
German)
Program of Demonstrations for July 19-21
This post includes 1. Complete program of the demonstrations on 20th July;
2. Proposal of the development of the Manifestations of Public Square of the GSF
in Genoa, 19-20-21 July 2001; 3. Complete program of Genoa Social
Forum
H. SELECTED ALTERNATIVE PRESS LINKS
1: PROTEST.NET
Lists upcoming protests including:
World Bank / IMF - 9-28 to 10-4, "The IMF and World Bank are principle
agents of corporate globalization. Their large fall meeting in Washington DC
will be met with a convergence September 28th - October 4th."
2. THE BATTLE OF GENOA (English)
by Walden Bello, Friday July 20, 2001
Walden Bello attended the GSF educational activities early last week in
Genoa and the later protests. This is his account. He is professor of sociology
and public administration at the University of the Philippines and executive
director of Focus on the Global South, a research and advocacy institute based
at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
3. IT'S A WAR (English)
by Geov Parrish, July 21, 2001
With brutal killing of protester, depths of division are clarified. Parrish
writes, "Genoa is reminiscent of nothing so much as Kent State, where, after
hundreds of thousands (at least) of deaths in Southeast Asia, it took the deaths
of four young students on a Midwest campus to galvanize opposition..."
4. INTERVIEW OF A SYNDICALIST WITH IG METAL (English)
About general experience and reasons for G8 protest by German worker. Runs
3:12 min.
5. PHOTO GALLERY OF THE MURDER OF CARLO GUILIANI (English)
by Storm Bear Williams 8:19pm Sat Jul 21 '01
storm@nauseamanifesto.com
A 21 image photo gallery, with commentary, of the murder of Carlo Giuliani
during the G8 Summit in Genoa, Italy.
6. INFOSHOP NEWS AND PHOTOWIRE (English)
This infoshop page has over a dozen Genoa demonstration photo thumbnails
with descriptions, linking to full photos. This page also has links to articles
on solidarity demonstrations from around the world and a variety of articles on
the Genoa protests.
7. PEACEFUL PROTEST IN GENOA, 21-07-2001
Pictures captured from the Journal de 20h on France2, on 21/7/2001. Various
crowd shots.
I. CONTINUING IMC and MEDIA COVERAGE
Other IMCs that have provided detailed coverage include (see left columns
at IMC websites for links): France, UK, Belgium, Barcelona, Switzerland,
Germany, Austria, Sweden, Brasil, Argentina, Chicago, New York City, and San
Francisco.
This IMC NEWS BLAST has been submitted to the IMC Translation list.
Translations will be created and posted to the IMC network.
Another IMC NEWS BLAST will be prepared later this week to summarize news
on emerging stories, including details of the Sunday morning raid, jail
situation, and solidarity protests.
The opinions expressed in the media referenced in this IMC NEWS BLAST do
not necessarily represent the opinions of the IMC network.
---------------------------------------------------------------
INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER
The IMC is a decentralized network of independent media makers, organizers,
and activists working to increase democracy and social justice by reporting
events and producing information as acts of autonomy, resistance, and liberation
from corporate control.
The IMC was established to cover the WTO protests in Seattle in November
1999. Hundreds of media activists have since setup over fifty independent media
centers in London, Canada, Mexico City, Prague, Belgium, France, and Italy, with
more to come.
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