On the days leading up to the Genoa Summit protests we pledged to leave no-one behind to rot in jail. We said our unity was our strength. We shook hands on this promise even though we are thousands and thousands of miles apart.
On the night before the protests began in Genoa a post was
published to indymedia from the Gothenburg protestors who
were awaiting court sentences. They wished the Genoa protestors well, and they asked us not to forget them.
It struck many of us at that moment that indifferent neglect was indeed happening after each protest. We were walking away and leaving young men and women to their fates, without a backward glance. Who would trust us?
For Genoa we decided to stick around afterward and lobby to
get all prisoners out of jail - we would leave no-one behind
we pledged each other. Our solidarity and unity is our greatest strength..... and just how committed have we been to honour such a promise?
Let us determine what this unity within our movement and to each other has achieved so far?
We have reduced the number of those held in jail by two thirds thus far.
We have held over 250 protests in solidarity with the Genoan prisoners all around the world.
Italian cities saw hundreds of thousands rise in a spontaneous demand for democratic accountability of the authorities.
Kind, good, decent people have held big rallies, and kept vigils outside prisons and hospitals.
Volunteer lawyers, helpers and counsel have worked around the clock preparing defences and obtaining film and videos from around the world to show that incitement by police was the chief factor in creating the violence witnessed on Genoan Streets.
Magistrates have shown their sense of worth and justice by releasing distressed protestors without making them endure long protracted hearings.
Members of the opposition have lobbied, demanded and shouted to see justice done.
Decent governments outside Italy have requested investigations into the policing of the G-8 summit.
Groups and organisations have risen radicalised almost
overnight to champion the cause of democracy and freedom
and denouncing the Nato Summit in Naples to place even
more pressure on incompetent governments and their greedy
elite friends.
Campaigners have lobbied the apathetic and corrupted mainstream media globally to shift themselves and publish
details about the brutality and the shameful detentions of dozens of young peaceful protestors.
Today 10th of August NZ Time, there are hundreds and hundreds of stories about what happened in Genoa on major news sites around the world - last week there were very very few.
But most importantly thousands upon thousands of ordinary people everywhere have faxed phoned and visited elected representatives to voice their concerns while others have contributed thoughts, comments, articles, photos, videos and audio to indymedia, to other media, and to the inquiries and courts to show what really happened on the streets of Genoa.
While it is not over yet I must tell you how good it feels to be part of this great global movement of people who have cared so much about each other and to have worked so hard to make sure we leave no-one behind - not one.
Except our boy Balilla but even then he acts as our lodestar
to continue to fight with all our might against the inhumanity of the empire and we carry him with us in our hearts.
"Unity is our strength"
We carry you with us Carlo.
kindest of love
nz supporters of european summer of resistance
