Report from the IMC tonight.

Tonight the carabineraie raided the IMC as many people already have probably seen on the newswire already. As we saw it the carabineraie started by pulling up about 2-300m up the road in initially around four to five vans. They got out and started to jog down the street in riot gear and batons. People saw them and started to enter both building - the main GSF building and the school.

The school had been a safe space for people to sleep and chill for a few days. In the school there were a diverse bunch of people. As the convergence center was quite close, many people came to get information on the counter conference and the solidarity marches and also to use computers. Many people who slept in the school were participants from the marches, a group of pacifists from Zaragoza had come to the school to sleep just fifteen minutes before the arrived, (as it was the only really "safe" space to sleep) and ended up with eight hospitalised and more detained by the carabineraie.

The carabineraie, having reached the school and the GSF building started to arbitrarily beat people with the batons as people scrabbled to get inside either building. The door were closed on the GSF building but they entered from, not the main door, but one which was not secured at the side - not secured as this was just not expected.

I can only tell from what happened now from the IMC as I was there working. The IMC tried to calm people down as the carabineraie came in and demanded that all of us stand spread-eagle against the wall for about 30 minutes whilst the people wandered in and out of the rooms a bit listlessly, looking for anything incriminating - as if. They then moved everyone into one area and everyone had to sit down for another twenty minutes or so.

What they found and took was some of the equipment like mini disks videos and disks and searched many peoples bags. They also took some salad knives from the kitchen and a couple of gas masks. Later after it was all over they said to the press that they saw quite a lot of black clothes inside the rooms, well excuse me.

Apparently opposite the police took all available passports and wallets and diaries from peoples bags.

The carabineraie tried to take one of the IMC people but another journalist with G8 accreditation stepped in although he was pushed back the carabineraie left the other guy alone.

They finally left when a women MP who was in the building came to our floor and had powers to make to carabineraie leave - due to the fact that we were an international group and also journo/press. The police left, but we discovered that the people on the other floors of the GSF building had had freedom to roam after only being held on the floor for a short time. Also the GSF Lawyers office was ransacked and the computers destroyed, hard drives taken and the phones smashed – so much for the law. The computers conatined all of the info relating to legal aid etc over the last few days. The carabineraie obviously had their purpose here - one mission being to search the IMC floor to find something to discredit the IMC media movement.

After they left people immediately checked their gear and recorded what was taken, and then the keypads started burning.

Then we discovered the fucking mass beatings next door where people were already sleeping and others had been eating and talking, many IMC people stayed outside to somberly record the devastation and support those in shock and disbelief at what had just occurred. Tears and shouts of "assinos" followed the police who for another half an hour or so were still blocking off exits. Many people outside had been chanting "let them free" whilst we were up against the wall and the school was being emptied with stretcher after stretcher of young men and women being carried out.

The story from across the street in the school was that when police arrived they grabbed the first people they could outside and beat them heavily – one of the first to be beaten was a uk reporter who was smashed repeatedly by a group of them – one held him by his neck while the others beat him with clubs – unconscious he was left in the street in a pool of blood (later when we were allowed out of the building the blood had been cleaned off the pavement). Their intention was clear then from the start.

Inside the building when police entered many people inside raised their hands but the police just started smashing windows. One group then ran to the third floor and managed to escape out of an upper window and down scaffolding (the building is a bit of a building site under repair) – they were lucky. The others inside were beaten everywhere but from the long stream of stretchers came out of the building they were obviously trying to injure people as seriously as possible – at least five were brought out unconscious.

Later after more arrests in the street the police and fleet of ambulances departed, leaving us 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 night is long and will not end to day. This is a sad day for democracy.

As to the "weapons" they found in the school, the place was as we said earlier was under repair, a small section blocked off and littered with pipes and building materials etc Like us they too had knives (and forks!) for cooking and eating.

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. No doubt many things will be said about this horrific evening here at the GSF building, but whatever happens, Indymedia will continue to report the truth.

Thank you for reporting this. But can you explain two things?

One: what do you mean when you say that "the keypads started burning?" Did you all destroy the computers?? Or is that a metaphor meaning that you started typing furiously?

Two: Who/what are the Carbinieri? What is their role? I've gotten the idea that they're some kind of paramilitary police force. Is there a force in the US to which they're equivalent? I'm in the states, and the question has come up as I've been organizing to bring people to demonstrate against Carlo Giuliani's murder.

Thank you!

Thanks for this great report in spite of the overt violence of the authorities. I think the fact that the direct brutalization of individuals occured outside of the IMC office indicates that It really makes a difference if the "world is watching" when journalists are present. Keep up the struggle!

Suddenly the police have become rioting hooligans!

As a result, we get a very curious situation. It looks like we now have a propaganda war between two different groups of hooligans.

The Police Hooligans practice an extreme, bloodstained brutality that will horrify the public and inevitably turn public opinion in favour of the protesters.

It would seem quite impossible to do this. The Protester Hooligans have made a huge effort, struggling hard all day with arson and looting and all kinds of mayhem and rioting. They have tried to show as much hooliganism as possible, they have really done their very best to turn the public opinion against the protesters.

But now suddenly there appear Police Hooligans who may completely turn the tables. Since the Police Hooligans attack people, not just things, and in such a horrible way too, public opinion will now inevitably favor the protesters. Suddenly that great effort of the Protester Hooligans has been all in vain.

A friend of mine believes that all this escalating unrest is sponsored by the weapons industry, and by other groups that can profit from public unrest and from a general reactionary attitude among the public. Seeing this ridiculous escalation, it makes me wonder...

I also wonder what the Protester Hooligans will do next. Which extreme measures will they now use, to try to turn the public against the protesters in spite of the great efforts of the Police Hooligans?

The questions on many people's minds as events unfold in Genoa are: "Why are protesters so intent on battling police?" and "Doesn't this violence detract from the message many of the demonstrators want to convey to world leaders?"

My answers to these questions are this: 1) The job of police around the world is to protect the lives, property and interests of the ruling class first and foremost. Anyone who doesn't understand that basic fact of life under nationalism is blind. Those who believe that power resides in the people (which should be just about every American since the Constitution is based on that premise) also believe that world leaders do not have the right to meet behind closed doors, behind police barricades, and plot the enslavement of the world's population through global corporate domination and the destruction of the global environment in the name of short-term, private profit. The police are not just symbols of capitalist oppression, they are the fundamental machinery of capitalist oppression. They do what they are brainwashed to do, what they are paid to do and what they are ordered to do. Those within their ranks who dissent are silenced very effectively. Common decency and moral fortitude are not commonly resident within police bureaucracies. The record of police abuse and outrage is long and sobering. Add to this now the sacking of IMC offices and other offices of non-violent, unarmed civil society groups in Genoa.

2) As to the question of violence detracting from message: The message is that around the planet, lives are being lost as a result of the capitalist conspiracy of globalization, suffering abounds, the environment in under assault and the future looks bleak. Meanwhile, the world's rich overmasters live in a state of near universal debauched decadence. How many of us, seeing a killer aiming a gun at a child, would not attempt a violent act to save the life of the child. I believe this is the motivation behind many of those who choose to engage in violence against the state (police) in anti-globalization protests.

Personally, I am opposed to violence. I believe that non-violent civil disobedience, practiced creatively on a mass scale, could succeed in overthrowing the rulers who maintain their privilege, power and their oppressive system by the threat of and the use of violence. Many non-violent activists would die at the hands of police and military before such an outcome would be obtained, but peace and justice would finally prevail my faith tells me. Unfortunately, we do not yet see the numbers of non-violent activists making the commitment to action which would be required to succeed. But we are seeing more. Marching in demonstrations is not enough.

Meanwhile, it is not difficult to understand some folks' attachment to violence as a means of social and political change and their belief that violence could someday bring about the positive change they seek. Again, Americans need only hearken back to the American revolution for an example of a violent uprising which many Americans consider justifiable even to this day. Many also see the Second World War as justifiable violence. Whether violence is subsequently viewed as justifiable is directly related to whether it is the victors who are passing judgment or the vanquished.

The most basic flaws in the practice of violence for bringing about social and political change are that it results in a false perception of finality where, in truth, the victorious and vanquished classes are doomed to test their relative positions another day while it reinforces the myth that violence holds the answer to unmet aspirations. Correspondingly, there has never been an historical case so far where the victors found they could maintain their favored outcome without themselves resorting to violence and the threat of violence in turn.

Those who criticize the violent protesters are mouthing empty rhetoric if they themselves are unwilling to commit their lives to non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to end all oppression and global destruction. Worse, they are themselves benefiting from the protection afforded them by the police and military powers who are hired by the ruling class to keep them as caged animals, feed them just enough to survive and put them to work to enlarge the fortunes of the owners of the means of production. By this tacit agreement, they share the trigger fingers of the oppressors. Those who criticize the violent protesters without making equal criticism of the violence engaged in by the police are complicit in the violence themselves.

The power to make fundamental change non-violently resides in the choices we each make each day. When more people learn the choices available to them and are willing to make them, we will starve the forces of oppression and they will fall away as a vine whose roots have been severed. Oppressors cannot exist without their oppressed. Choose not to be oppressed.

Chrys Ostrander 07/21/2001

From: Chrysalis Farm- One of the Farms at Tolstoy
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Practicing Sustainable Agriculture
33495 Mill Canyon Rd.
Davenport, WA 99122
(509) 725-0610
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bright@famrc.org

I pray for the police who have commited these atrocities that they are able to understand true justice and find peace.

I pray for the people who were violated and assaulted
that they are able to forgive.

I pray for the families of the dead that they will find compassion in their hearts instead of revenge.

I pray for leaders that will lead us out of dispair.

I pray for us all that we will find a way to live in this world without violence.

Act for justice.

Pray for Peace.

The cops spent their time to go into each computer to take the harddrives, which in alot of instances wouldnt work for them anyway...im sorry, im sorta critical eyed...i look at things multisided...and what we don't know is exactly why they were there in the first place. Yes, maybe they were there to just disrupt your operations, but there could be another reason too. Find out what the cops said they were doing there, and dont make assumptions. But i still think its sick what happened there and i wish i were there, so on the news they could carry out a 16 yrolds body from the building on national tv. : )

"Perplexed" is quite right to note that the Police Hooligans have done much more for the cause than the Protester Hooligans did. But only in a direct sense -- remember, it was the Protester Hooligan's actions that prompted the police to react.

I think we're seeing the baser side of man, here. It's a machismo-based game of getting even with very, very high stakes.

I see an escalation of events and attitudes:

"You drive that police vehicle through here, and we'll smash it."
"One more person smashes us in the vehicle, and we'll shoot (and panic and drive out over a body.)"
"You try to cover up your fatal mistakes, and we'll publicize it all over the world instantly."
"You put up a global forum for people to say, 'kill all fucking police,' and incite more rioting, and we'll raid your sleeping quarters and show you what real rioting is."

Unless some cool-headed leadership emerges on both sides quickly, nobody will get what they want unless they don't care about any outcome other than violence.

..and awake to a club striking your head, again & again! Then to wake up in the hospital with an IV needle in your arm & a buzzing heart monitor beside your head!
...or maybe to never wake up at all............

Thank you for risking so much to keep the truth.

It's necessary for those not living in Italy thus not having access to Italian Tv to know that last night on TV Sette a video was presented by the GSF showing militant activists tranquilly conversing with carabinieri (the carabinieri are a kind of police force) in front of a van.
This video implies a complicity between carabinieri and militants (I use the word "militants" to refrain from saying Black Bloc because they were not dressed in black).

If the GSF says that they have evidence that there was a rapport between carabinieri and the anarchists, it's only logical that the carabinieri would like to get their hands on this evidence and destroy it.

It's necessary for those not living in Italy thus not having access to Italian Tv to know that last night on TV Sette a video was presented by the GSF showing militant activists tranquilly conversing with carabinieri (the carabinieri are a kind of police force) in front of a van.
This video implies a complicity between carabinieri and militants (I use the word "militants" to refrain from saying Black Bloc because they were not dressed in black).

If the GSF says that they have evidence that there was a rapport between carabinieri and the anarchists, it's only logical that the carabinieri would like to get their hands on this evidence and destroy it.

They did this in Quebec too. It's the first thing you do as a facist. You seize the media to control the flow of information. Thank you IMC for becoming a media outlet that causes the police to fear you. The fact that they are employing these tactics shows that they are desperate and that we are winning. I'm tired of self righteous blame the victim nonsense. If direct action is such a distraction from the real issues and inhibits participation, why is it that our rallies keep getting bigger. I'll tell you why they're getting bigger, we are winning.

When they meet, they now feel that they have to address our issues, people are also inspired by the passion of our movement and we are re-energizing a left that was tired of protest as usual. For every naysaying naive hippy type that slanders us, there are at least two people that join the movement. Stay strong, as socialist martyr James Connolly once said "we defy you, do your worst." You are all in my thoughts and prayers, keep up the good work.

The Caribinieri are the state police force of Italy, something like the American FBI if it also did duty like the local constable or policeman.

The "burning keyboards" is an obvious metaphor for sending out the message by whatever functioning computers that were left behind by the Caribinieri.

> I pray for leaders that will lead us out of dispair.

> Unless some cool-headed leadership emerges on both sides
> quickly, nobody will get what they want unless they don't
> care about any outcome other than violence.Make a rating
> on this comment.

I thank the above contributors for their analysis, and I've come to see the kind of escalation they describe.

However, I'd like to make a point about leaders and leadership.

I think it's best if space can be created so that all people can fade in and out of different roles, where some of those roles require and bring out leadership qualities, among others.

What I'm concerned about is the appeal to leaders "that will lead us out of dispair," or "leadership emerg[ing] on both sides."

Alleigence and reliance on designated leaders has, I think, led to the current state of the world. I think we should encourage everyone to take responsibility for themselves, and lead their own selves, and come to decisions in a space where they meet at the same level with each other.

There have been some incredible examples of leadership by individuals and groups in recent events, and I think the best change will be effected if responsibilitiies are shared and 'leaders' are avoided.

People can take care of themselves.

There currently is a three part analysis of the events in Gotenberg, Sweeden from earlier this year at the Italian indymedia site <http://italy.indymedia.org> that shows the linkage between police tactics and their evolution since Seattle, although the Stormtrooper headbashing of sleeping people is a new, Italian, but old Fascist method. Furthermore, Carlo wasn't the first to die in an anti-corporate-lead-globalization action. Many have died in India and Africa away from the lenses and computers of indymedia, through no fault of indymedia of course. Indeed, at least 30,000 people/day die as a result of G8 et al policies. The situation is rapidly getting worse. The reactionary G8 will do anything to hold their positions of power, which is why the US military has been training to attack its own cities. Essentially, what is happening to the Palestinians will be our fate too if we don't recruit more ordinary people into the movement and win over the several progressive politicians to our side. Above all we need to reach out to all people of color; their grassroots organizations and tactical networks are more advanced than they are given credit for, and we need them as much as they need us. Now is NOT the time to sit on our hands.

In Germany the Police stormed a Anti-Atom Camp near a railway during the castor transports.
They have stolen lots of notebooks, harddrives and handys from a container in this camp.
This was done in oder to "prevent an eventually committed crime" and to disturb the peacefull demonstrators in this camp.
(In this specific area all the people did was bringin up transparents and standing some hundred meters away from the rails, yelling and shouting).
The Compputers had been organized to bring up a independend media station not controlled by Police.
There were no police-radio scanners or such illegal things.
All the people wanted to do was coordinating peacefull demonstrations and reporting live from the demonstration.
The same obliteration everywhere!

FREE THE PRESS!
NOW!
FREE THE NET!
TODAY!

Raknaroek

We have reached the point of no return.
Genua shows what NWO has in store for us:
No civil rights, no free press and mass beatings and state terrorism.
It is high time to rethink the organization's strucutre and put it onto new grounds.

If they want war. Well they can have it.

sadly, most people in the world really don't know what's going on at these globalization meetings, and the eco/political realities which motivate the protestors. how can this leap be made, to the couch potatoes. It is encouraging, though, that each protest seems to grow compared to its predecessor, and i say you indies are my heros!
T

Italy as a wholr is an outrage for alllowing this to happen. . .

this is basicallly how the wires are reporting it....i copied this off of rueters.....check drudgereport.com for the links:



"They found knives, cobblestones, Molotov cocktails and an iron bar," a police spokesman said.


"We went to the school after we were tipped off arms were being stored there," Roberto Sgalla of the special police squad set up for the G8 was quoted as saying by news agency ANSA."


what horseshit.......

witchbanger

many thanks for your hard work in the eye of the storm.
a lot of people here in munich got alternativ information on imc.
whow important you got, you see in the reaction of bourgoise state. you denied the system-conforming monopol of media.

one thing we can learn, is not to centralise and to grow neuralgic points in our struggle. our chance ist to be spontanious, to be a mass of people and not to be assailable in one certain place. we must be everywhere and nowhere. never the less we certainly must coordinate our actions/struggle and new media are good means to do that.

the second thing we learn is to secure the places where we are and we allways have to have in mind everyone could be a undercoverpig.

something like:
"The door were closed on the GSF building but they entered from, not the main door, but one which was not secured at the side - not secured as this was just not expected."
may not happen in future.

tomorrow (23.july 2001) there will take place a protestdemonstration against policeviolence at genua
it starts in munich at 18 pm at marienplatz and ends in münchner freiheit

excuse my bad english


redfront

news reports in papers and on the tv all over the world are reporing incessantly on the violent militant facton that they claim was present among the 100,000 plus demonstrators. If such a faction exists it's a tiny minority of people. It seems blatantly obvious that all of the vioence over the weekend was down to the heavyhanded tactics of the police who came to this summit determined that there would be trouble, and so they got it. Using live ammunition as a weapon against stones been thrown seems to any sane person a bit on the excessive side and their dispicable treatment of protestors has left a dirty taste in the mouth. It is their indiscriminate brutality and the murder of a young italian protestor that will be forever remembered from this summit

I agree with your response to the question of leadership. instead we all need to recognise our own strengths and weaknesses and to identify where we can all fit in. Organising ourselves implies finding our own niche; we must consider ourselves and this movement as an ecosystem. There are many like me who cannot be on the front line (fear committments etc)I am the typical fluffy, but I have other valuable skills. The developements in Genoa have confirmed my worst fears; that this is a war in which those who oppose the system must risk life and limb, for there is too much at stake for the oppressors of the world to agree to our demands. In future let those who want to 'kill the fucking police' instead use thier anger, bravery and (violence) to protect those like you at indymedia against the police. It is utterly futile to throw a few stones at heavily armed Carabiieri(or riot police in any country, and the futility of such violence is a turn-off for the many moderate sympathisers out there in the world. The action of the police has shown a clear need for violence as a defensive measure.(I recognised this myself at Oxford Circus) We all need to act in our own way. Let those who can talk quietly and persuasively out in the suburbs talk, let those who can paint pick up thier brushes, let those who want to peacefully demonstrate do so, let those who can broadcast keep us informed, let those who can write take up thier pens and laptops, and finally let those who can fight save thier energy until its really needed; as a defense and response to police brutality. To do this they will need more than 'their bodies'. It will take training and real protetive gear. This is an unfortunate but essential step. Let those who can do this volunteer now, and let the rest of us do what we have the skills to do in our own way.In an ecosystem everything has value; in this movement every act has value.

"First they ignore you. Then They laugh at you. Then they fight you. THen you win."
-gandhi

REMEMBER... Ours is the movement of peace, justice, and unity. Tune in the unified vibe. Obtain peace by BEING at peace. Justice will be done. Harmony will follow. We are the movement that heals the world. Our power is love. We need not stick, rock or gun. We have already won. MANIFEST!

THE VENEER OF DEMOCRACY STARTS TO FADE!!!!!

I am thankful to Indymedia for continuing to report what it seems the major media in the US refuses to show. This morning I heard nothing about the raid on the major networks, or CNN.

What the Italian Carabiniere did was inexcusable. Even if they believed that there was weapons in these buildings they did not have to beat all these people, many to an unconcious state! And the idea that they would take the materials from journalists brings back images of fascism that Italy should have left behind decades ago. One must realize that the Italian government is led by a severe right winger and his cabinet includes those from the neo fascist parties. Anyone who knows about the recent elections (what were the Italians thhinking when they went to the polls!?) knows that Italy is led by men who together control nearly all the major media, are xenophobic and out and out criminals. (Many are under inditment and investigation as I write this!)

The Carabiniere are made up in part by very young men who are doing their mandatory military duty, and based on the events in the past days, dangerously untrained to deal with such situations.

I demand to know who ordered this raid, and who will take responsibility for the injuries of those who even if they deserved to be arrested, certainly did not deserve to be beaten unconscious!

Thank you to all those who are posting here, and keeping us informed about what the major media is evidently not interested in.

And they say that the media is owned by the liberals here in the US, what bullshit.

This is not your typical antiglobalization protest. I think that part of this represents a turning point in state repression on an international scale, but the political situation in Italy must have the main impact on the ferocity of the police repression -- it resembles May-June '68 in France.

And, that must be how the masses respond. It is my understanding that many young workers who have been participating in a wave of strikes in Italy have come to view the G8 protests as the focal point of their trade union struggles. The CGIL must now take the lead in this confrontation and shut down all of Italy until the nation is rid of this vicious cabal of class warriors that now controls the Italian government.

And, the entire European labor movement must now also come to the aid of their embattled brothers and sisters in Italy -- isolate this outlaw government. Do not repeat the mistakes of the Thirties, when the French Popular Front government of Leon Blum took no steps to aid the struggle against Spanish Fascism other than to send their best activists off to the slaughter in the heroic, but tragic international brigades. European labor must isolate Italy now, and prepare for the European general strike that almost occurrred last year on a de facto basis as a result of the massive fuel protests.

Answer brutal police repression by wielding the industrial power of organized labor. Forward to a European general strike. Build one big union across the world -- with one big general strike. We in the U.S. labor movement would love to join it.

The beatings are probably part of some long term plan. One possibility is to terrorize protestors so there won't be so many of them next time. Somehow indymedia and others must raise a big enough hue and cry about these and the murder of the person who was run over that the main media are forced to take notice. tall order.

Another possible reason for the beatings is to polarize the sides. In other words, make the protestors hate the police and vice versa. This would lead to more violence on both sides, which the establishment media would then cover with relish. Most of the people in the world, especially the US, don't know what is going on in the world and would be confirmed in the opinion that the protestors are "communists" or just "hooligans". This of course is the opinion that the Big Business leaders want to promote, although many mainstream reporters don't even realize this.
Seeing violence like this also makes the general public shake their heads and makes them want to withdraw from the world of politics and go back to their cocoons and be passive. I believe this will be the main desired effect. We should expect more violence in the future - from provocateurs if nobody else.

Everything is PR these days and there is a sophisticated and subtle intelligence behind most events.

Threatening "war" against the authorities is proposing to use the weapon the authorities know and use the very best. Lasting justice can never win with that weapon. A violence-based schema may feel good for your revenge notions, but it can't change the basic fabric of the world's problems in either the short term or the long term.

The Gandhi comment, very appreciated, was probably about a "you" that practices nonviolence. I'm not so sure the sequence ends in "Then you win" if the method is violent.

Also, promising to be distrusting and "secure all doors" in future situations can only breed paranoia and schisms.

Ironically, the real power of nonviolent anti-authority movements is in the misinterpreted threat to authority: that is, being nonviolent is something they don't understand, so they assume that just under the surface is something worse than they are able to handle. I guess they fear the outbreak of a GIANT and uncontrollable population-wide revolt if there is no riot at all, but a small riot or "war" (say, only ten thousand people) is easily within their rehearsed plans for controlling and winning.

This is a fudemental problem with extremism. When the world hears a report from extremist groups, they are skeptical to accept "the truth" as told by indy media sources who are sympathetic to extremism. I do not raise this point because I doubt your report. I have seen state directed violence here in Canada. Credibility around the world relies on a certain objectivity. Indy media (as well as the corporate media) does not possess (for the most part) any objectivity.

This is a fudemental problem with extremism. When the world hears a report from extremist groups, they are skeptical to accept "the truth" as told by indy media sources who are sympathetic to extremism. I do not raise this point because I doubt your report. I have seen state directed violence here in Canada. Credibility around the world relies on a certain objectivity. Indy media (as well as the corporate media) does not possess (for the most part) any objectivity.

The future of this protest-movement very well may rest in the hands of those people, like the ones you've mentioned in this article who have been beaten, who possess enough courage to risk being beaten or killed, being given long-term prison term and thus risk being separated from family and friends -- that is, the future of this movement will depend on the courageous few like those at the IMC who put their bodies at risk getting out in the streets to protest and to get the truth out to the rest of us.

The carbonised Bush-Cheney-Enron-Exxon legal ashram along with the methaneous European CEO's and their puppet politicians will no doubt slam their black-gloved sphincterously-clenched right fists down hard on the international legal bench in the aftermath of Genoa. Some might conclude they all need a long session with a strap-on suppository! First break the law, then rewrite the law -- that has been the strategy of these right wing fanatics for decades.

Many would argue that the 21st century will be the century of this either-or dilemma: Either you will be for global justice or you will be against it. If you are for global justice, then you will have to do something proactive to actualise that justice. Doing so, even in small measures, will become riskier and riskier as the century picks up steam (be it from coal, oil, split atoms, or the heavy
breathing of Mike Moore & co.). Therein lies the ethical and moral dilemma that every person will have to confront if they hope to realise fully what it means to be a human being in the 21st century: personal risk will be the price one must pay not only for global justice but also to become an authentic human being. Many would argue that the desire for global justice is directly linked to the desire
to become a fully authentic human being. Those who got beaten this morning know more than most of us will ever know what it means to be a fully athentic human being.

Would that more of us had their courage!

Fascist Institutions, through Fascist Leaders, use Fascist Methods to attain Fascist Goals for the purpose of creating a Fascist World! What else can one say?---ABHORRENT!

The future of the protest movement depends on converting the great "Silent Majority" of the people to your point of view. The American Revolution might never have happened after the Boston Massacre if the people in Virginia and other states hadn't been convinced of the moderation and the reasonableness of the protests of the people in Massachusetts. To convince them that Bostonians were not all crazy radicals, John Adams defended the British soldiers who had fired on the crowd and he got them acquited. (The crowd had thrown things at the soldiers and at least one was injured). Later Adams said that that defense was one of the best things he had done for his country.
The protest movement has to do something similar. The purpose of its protests should be to convince a lot of ordinary people that something is wrong with the world and that it can be fixed.
The violence on both sides is a distraction. Ordinary people see this as the "real story" of Genoa or Seattle or wherever and they turn off. Or they think and talk only of the violence. If they saw only the huge crowds protesting the G8, they might start to think "What's this all about anyway"?
However courageous Indymedia participants may be, they have to cover the real "real story" which is what is going on inside the meeting. I see that they're talking about the evils of laundering money now. This is undoubtedly a pretext for laws which will allow governments to snoop on our bank accounts and to put further restrictions on our use of money.

no comment needed,as it seems,just hanx for what you're doing.In the last days you indy journalists proved to be essential to reveal facts behind the censorship's curtain.I've been in Genoa too at the demonstration and I feel really lucky for coming back home safe.

For those that believe in nonviolennce such as the Greens, do not confuse this with pacificism. Nonviolent action may be obliged to rise to higher levels as this war of globilized liberal democratic governments increases.

We salute you for your courage to report the truth. While mainstream media has substantial coverage only for the G8 leaders, you provided us with accounts on the side of the anti-globalization protesters. Let us not be deterred by the great powers tremendous and unified efforts to marginalize our movement for global justice and democracy. We are one with you in condemning police brutality and the repression of civil society initiatives in Genoa. Let us not waver. The people is on your side.

This is what happens when you beard the beast in its lair. There are those people who will hurt others because they have orders to, and some may enjoy it.
The wounded have earned a peice of glory that more and more will see as time goes by. They have felt the fence around power, and gave it a good climb. Now we see it too.

The world is watching!!!!
i wish you all the best in these hard times....
the front pages of most the papers in mexico have been covering this.
I pray for democracy.

You break law, you think it is a patriotic fight for the free world. Police stretches the law, you go on whining how democracy is compromised etc.

Ever heard about the saying: "If you step into the fire you're gonna get burned."

Ever heard about how democracy works? Elections. Yeah. You have lost (have you even voted?) and when you can't stand the majority's opinion, you go rioting.

Should people really let you throw rocks, break things, go agains regulations which are made to keep YOU safe? If you start rioting, you are gonna get hurt.

Some moron down there yells: "We will fight this senseless brutality."

Well. Wake up people. Police is fighting the senseless brutality you are committing. Isn't it a bit hard to be on the receiving end.

Go get yourselves civilized and try to look at other peoples opinions too. Maybe that'll make you look a bit less like Nazi's. And if you wonder about that reference, go and familiarize yourselves with history.

that police violence erupts there, where people go against regulations.

Public gatherings like G8 are huge. There has to be limited areas for demonstrating each opinion and police guards to keep people from hurting each other and wreaking havoc.

People here are talking about democracy, but what democracy is really about is elections. Getting enough people to back up your opinion. And what are you activists doing? When you lose, you start rioting and blaming everyone else of your losing. You are shaming the very idea of democracy. Nazi's did the same. Communists in Soviet Union did the same. You are judging your opinion more important than the public opinion and you are taking the law in your own hands.

Before G8 I read a article, where activist leader told how he had ordered his followers to not do what police orders and to break all rules meant for that. You are taking the law on your own hands. And what happens then?

Police are people too. The get scared when army of anarchists come rushing on 'em too. They'll have to do something to save their own lives and to even try to keep peace.

If you go against regulations, you can't go blaming the other side when they'll have to stretch the rules too. You break the limit. As I have said, if you step into the fire you're gonna get burned. It is a bit sad to come crying for mummy and free world after you get to taste your own medicine.

There is a way to really change things, bad sadly it needs a bit more effort than just rioting.

It is fairly easy to go on breaking things around big meetings, but to really change things you'd need to go to politics, get public behind you and do the trick.

Why aren't you succeeding in it? No, it is not the global conspiracy that is designed to keep you at bay. It is the fact that you don't have what it takes and you 'cause doesn't have enough supporters. So you choose the easy and exciting way. And now and then you'll pay for it.

The different situations, instances and reactions of the Italian State is not different from other states which have hosted world economic summits like the USA, Sweden, and very soon Canada. But every time our strategies are growing more superficial and less effective because we have decided to become ignorant of the basicness and genuity of fundamental Human Rights. Engagements and activism on Human Rights should be seen as a life time engagement and not as a theater of the haves and the have nots.

We should come back a little bit and think then, we will realise many of our mistakes. We are strong but if we don't think well, we are always going to fall in their traps (Those powerful economists and leaders of the world).

I hope we could learn something from Genua.


Cornelius Yufanyi, Goettingen.

Sounds like Pekka Havu is a cop of some sort... Hey Pekka Havu, you are a fucking IDIOT follower.
No one owes you an explanation. No one owes you shit. Go hide in your gated community and
Fuck Off.

The idea of confronting the worlds richest nation and also strongest military powers with violence is so naive and the scenario is so impossible that i schocks me everytime to see the foolish militant activists living out their revolution romantics and their personal agression on the expense of both the constantly growing amount of peaceful ordinary citizens who claim their mass protest at every international summit and on the expense of the starving third-world population whose bright horizon seems to run away further for every throwed stone.
It is no coincidence that it was Gandhi and Mandela who won the peoples support and managed to throw out the opressers and not the senseless and violent ETA or RAF or any other isolated fraction of misanthropic hero-wannabees.

Next time I and my friends and many with us will take the place in front of the militants, in front of the police, tieing our hands together to oblige them from any act of agression in any name.

I will gladly take the dialogue with any violent radical who wants to ruin our struggles. We will stand upright, facing both stonethrowers and riflemen.
Saying "No Pasaran. These are the streets of the people."

This monday morning I have been browesing the Internet for news from Genova. This artikel is the best and most informativ I have found. I hope there will be followups soon, because media in Denmark are as usual - pro G8 and the policeforse - the selfcensur is working very well.
Thank for good artikel, and will thre come more in english?

Henrik O.
henrik.olsen@olsen.mail.dk

Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you -
Ye are many - they are few.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Chrysalis wrote: "Those who criticize the violent protesters are mouthing empty rhetoric if they themselves are unwilling to commit their lives to non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to end all oppression and global destruction."
It is indeed a sticky situation. I advocate the theme of everyone individually bearing responsibility for the world. Life is a one shot deal. This, however, is a double-edged sword of sorts. There lies an inner-turmoil in many (myself included) in trying to balance my intuitions toward doing anything I can to fight oppressive rule and yet I have my own life. I have a fiancee and a group of family and friends I love very dearly. I am all too aware of the price we pay for inaction. I am in the midst of a researching a small book on totalitarian powers and the call for action. And it sucks. It is totally ironic to sit around and write about these things. But I try to inform myself. I think that if I arm myself with a better understanding, I can one day be able to have clearer goals on how to help promote social change. I am against violent protesters because I fear that they do not know what they are fighting for. I'm sure that some of them do. I don't want to see anyone martyred. That is most important. I criticize the police violence far more harshly. However, I think that those who sympathize with what the vague protest movement will be inclined to criticize the actions of the protesters more closely. We already know that the military and the cops aren't out there to speaking for what we believe. It is the protesters who have taken that responsibility, and I am very grateful that there are such brave people. However, to take away the right to criticize how protesters behave can very well damage any chance of building on the advances that have been made.

Not a cop. Just a guy with IQ over 170.

You seemingly don't have the guts to take even little critic. Typical anarchist child. When you have nothing intelligent to say, you go saying Fuck You. Pretty amusing. ;-)

And sadly. Not much potential wasted there.

Jon Erik had it just right. Few people starting those riots destroy good intentions of thousands. And when someone gets himself killed, you go and make him a martyr. Ridiculous.

Some people are working hard to really change these things to better. That work is often boring, it is hard, it takes years. It hasn't got the excitement of throwing rocks and breaking windows. It takes lots of people, it takes paperwork, it is frustrating but it changes the world.

And then people like you go and fuck it up by idolizing riots and even participating in ones.

And one little point.

The public media, although sometimes corrupt and shortsighted, almost always looks at things through at least two or more different views while independent medias like this one have just one view on things.

Isn't it sad that independent media that should be telling the truth, nothing but the truth and the whole truth takes just one such a narrow view?

Terve Pekka !
Olet pöppi , ja vittu sinua !!!
Read some more , learn the history , try to work on your feeelings if you have some, and forghet your - 1.7 IQ.
It is not a shame to be stupid , but to be a ignorant - it is.
Check the links on those pages, read reports , watch the pictures and ask yourself what your message is
to those people.
You said lots of paperwork study and so on...
What did the people at IMC , GSF and that school trying to do except paperwork?
Were they rioting writing their E-Mails , making films of police brutallity , sending reports (don't forghet
thse wore journalists too - and they did some studys! ) , phoning their familys and friends sending reports.
They got beaten shit out of them. Why?
Did police have any rights to do that ? Answer me that !
What about free opinion , press, fredoom of speak ?
You speeak of free ELECTIONS ? Wake up Pekka , again , learn some history, mass movements
and how to manipulate them.
You want to know about free elections in Italy where Berlusconi and mafia owns XX% om mass media ?
To tired actually to prove your small brain that you are WRONG.
Living in ideals of rich society , having answer on everything ...
My time is too worth to spend it on you...
You feel superior , expirienced , matured ?
You feel self satisfied and self justified . You are not better a bit than the extremists you are
critisizing.
Have you ever watch someone starving next to you ?
Do you actualy know what are those people demonstrating for ?
Probably not , you are a "happy" child...
You are alone Pekka.
Feel sorry for you.
But anyway ...
VITTU SINUA!!!

(What would Linus Torvald's comment be on this ? Free Community , World , Nations , Opinions , Web ... and
forghet that Pekka , he was a failure , we didn't want him but ... shit happens ! )

Tämä on kaikki.

MAD
(Greetings from Croatia, and to all my friends in Finland , hold on people , we will win - PEACEFULLY ! )

Come on. Why should anyone believe you or the police? Both sides have too much invested in this to tell the truth. As for the man that died, I'm sorry, but if you attack an armed man with nowhere to run there is only going to be one outcome. People always call the cops "fascists" and "thugs", but when they actually hurt people, you are all shocked! Face it, in a real dictatorship none of those protesters would be walking free right now. They would be locked in a cellar somewhere, hooked up to a car battery.

If people think they can flaunt the laws of a country then retreat behind their privileges as citizens or visitors to that country to escape any repercussions then I have no sympathy for them.

Solidarity with the people of IMC Italy!
Testimonies like this make people aware of the oppresion by state sanctioned forces such as the police, and the hypocrisy of the politicians and business men behind the corporate globalisation process.
I want to congratulate Indymedia for the excellent work in bringing the truth around the events of genoa to concious people all over the world.
Perseverance...! the media belongs to us!

A question has been growing inside my head since the last saturday, when I saw what happened in Genoa: the violent action of the black block is a good or a bad thing ? I surely understand their motivation and sometimes Í'm tempted to believe their wright because, after all, maybe a war is really needed to change the current state of things in the world today. But, from another point of view, is it right to do the same thing that the police does and we find so absurd ? I honestly would like to hear from someone who integrated the black block or fully agrees with this kind of attitude to understand the way you see this question. My e-mail is bfiuza@uol.com.br

This is the first I've heard of this. Horrible... I don't even have words. Those poor people.

Is that the young Italian man that was shot between the eyes by the pigs? The police have really gone too far. I remember the summit of the Americas in Quebec City last year and the entire city was under seige. You couldn't get in or leave for an entire week. The 2002 G8 was to be in the city I live in (Ottawa). Our great and glorious leader Jean Cretin decided to move it to a small resort in Alberta instead. I am somewhat releived because I live and work in the city centre where most of the action would have been. However, the people in Alberta do not deserve the same fate as Genoa.

Just as typical. You beging with clumsy insults and fuck yous 'cause actually you feel insecure. And you end your message with badly translated fuck you. LOL (loughing out loud)

Sorry, but I happen to have some knowledge about history. And I have lots of knowledge about propaganda. You people are pissing on your own nest so badly it makes me sad.

Does the fact that someone disagree with your methods make them automatically ignorant? Once again you are taking the easy way out. You completely fail to look at things through anything else than one very very narrow viewpoint. Just look at what that has done to your country.

I know it requires some education to understand how world and especially these things work so I can forgive you your ingnorance. And your falling into propaganda.

And about me not having experience of people starving. Heh. Don't you come taking everything for granted just 'cause I think differently from you. I have been in Ethiopia, I have seen hunger, thirst and AIDS there. Nothing you have ever seen in Europe can ever come even near that. I have seen death, suicide and violence. I know what I'm talking about. You have just seen it in independent (read: narrowview'd) media and television.

And by the way. I never saw any of you guys actions save any of those starving children while "evil capitalism" has actually managed to make the lives of some people there more bearable. And why is that? 'cause you are just too busy rioting and having fun at G8-meetings to really go out and help where it is needed.

Welcome to the real world.

It was an excellent article. We just have to keep on fighting these facist, motherfuckers. I believe our time is coming.

Pekka,

Finally someone with an intelligent viewpoint on the situation! A lot of people get caught up in how 'cool' it is to protest, and riot, and really <i>do something</i> to help (yeah right)! The fact is that most of these people, despite having honourable aspirations, go about things in completely the wrong manner. So you want to change the world. Looting and thuggery acheives this how? I understand that peaceful protest does help make your views known, but when it descends into this shameful display, then it has gone too far. You people should do something to change the world, not make it worse. And one other thing: Stop flinging the words 'facist' and 'nazi' around. You think you've got it bad? You don't know how lucky you are to live how you do.

Iain

most italian cops i whitnessed are very agressive because, sadly, those guys are morons who only feel strong when holding a gun (and being in a group). they even raped a friend of my classmate - on public street. those guys are animals and in my humble opinion the only way to solve the problem is to nuke them out of their pants. god, they shot a guy and you can guess three times whether there will be any consequences or not. it's a shame that all over the world the police force is made out of idiots who only abuse the power that the states give them. be it italy, USA or austria or whatnot.

i have been i protests in nyc for various causes and i have never heard of anything like this happing in america. i want to say to all the people on the front lines that you have my support i do not know if i could do the same things that you do. i have been hit by police for being in the protests but never like what is happing to the people in europe. this is where the line must be drawn we must not move back one more step those that can fight fight those that will stand by and report what is happing stand by and report. i wish that there is more that i could do to help you all but i can not think of anything just rember that you have the support of a teenager and iw ill fight the good fight when you can no longer do it.

I can't believe the violence that the police used. It' s a shame.

Do we know the current status of those who were beaten/arrested? How many are still in jail??

Expose the reality that at least the U.S. gov't/mil/corp complex has WORKING energy alternatives to fossil fuels, and has for a long time. Don't laugh until you investigate deeply.

http://www.disclosureproject.org
http://www.infinite-energy.com

Remember that many citizens view what most of us here see as reality as paranoid and crazy. INVESTIGATE IT YOURSELF. Pull the rug of energy control from under the feet of the elite, and their power crumbles. Power is largely based on a false idea of scarcity of energy (be it electricity, food, water, etc.) that can be hoarded and sold at obscene profit, or withheld as punishment.

http://www.disclosureproject.org
http://www.infinite-energy.com

PLEASE, realize that this issue transcends all others, and has the power to catalyze consciousness and level the powers that be. Don't get suckered into seeing it as a frivolous bourgeouis subject. Such a belief can only be a product of the mistaken idea that there is no substance to the issue of free energy. Modern physics shows that the vacuum is a plenum of energy, not a dead void. That vacuum energy CAN be accessed and used. Those who have discovered this have often suffered repression similar to radical political activists. Think about why.

http://www.disclosureproject.org
http://www.infinite-energy.com

My friend is a physicist working on these matters. He has had his labs destroyed twice, his career ruined, been framed and jailed illegally. Wonder why.

WAKE UP! Don't assume ideas that you have not deeply investigated are absurd! Remember, others think that about much of what YOU believe in.

Expose the reality that at least the U.S. gov't/mil/corp complex has WORKING energy alternatives to fossil fuels, and has for a long time. Don't laugh until you investigate deeply.

http://www.disclosureproject.org
http://www.infinite-energy.com

Remember that many citizens view what most of us here see as reality as paranoid and crazy. INVESTIGATE IT YOURSELF. Pull the rug of energy control from under the feet of the elite, and their power crumbles. Power is largely based on a false idea of scarcity of energy (be it electricity, food, water, etc.) that can be hoarded and sold at obscene profit, or withheld as punishment.

http://www.disclosureproject.org
http://www.infinite-energy.com

PLEASE, realize that this issue transcends all others, and has the power to catalyze consciousness and level the powers that be. Don't get suckered into seeing it as a frivolous bourgeouis subject. Such a belief can only be a product of the mistaken idea that there is no substance to the issue of free energy. Modern physics shows that the vacuum is a plenum of energy, not a dead void. That vacuum energy CAN be accessed and used. Those who have discovered this have often suffered repression similar to radical political activists. Think about why.

http://www.disclosureproject.org
http://www.infinite-energy.com

My friend is a physicist working on these matters. He has had his labs destroyed twice, his career ruined, been framed and jailed illegally. Wonder why.

WAKE UP! Don't assume ideas that you have not deeply investigated are absurd! Remember, others think that about much of what YOU believe in.

www.majestysmonkey.com

Expose the reality that at least the U.S. gov't/mil/corp complex has WORKING energy alternatives to fossil fuels, and has for a long time. Don't laugh until you investigate deeply.

http://www.disclosureproject.org
http://www.infinite-energy.com

Remember that many citizens view what most of us here see as reality as paranoid and crazy. INVESTIGATE IT YOURSELF. Pull the rug of energy control from under the feet of the elite, and their power crumbles. Power is largely based on a false idea of scarcity of energy (be it electricity, food, water, etc.) that can be hoarded and sold at obscene profit, or withheld as punishment.

http://www.disclosureproject.org
http://www.infinite-energy.com

PLEASE, realize that this issue transcends all others, and has the power to catalyze consciousness and level the powers that be. Don't get suckered into seeing it as a frivolous bourgeouis subject. Such a belief can only be a product of the mistaken idea that there is no substance to the issue of free energy. Modern physics shows that the vacuum is a plenum of energy, not a dead void. That vacuum energy CAN be accessed and used. Those who have discovered this have often suffered repression similar to radical political activists. Think about why.

http://www.disclosureproject.org
http://www.infinite-energy.com

My friend is a physicist working on these matters. He has had his labs destroyed twice, his career ruined, been framed and jailed illegally. Wonder why.

WAKE UP! Don't assume ideas that you have not deeply investigated are absurd! Remember, others think that about much of what YOU believe in.

Oops-- heh heh. Sorry for the multi-post ;0)

we may all thank the violent protesters for this all; they have provided the police for an excuse to commit this unlawfull violence. If this movement of anti-globalism is ever to be taken seriously we cannot accept the violence from within; so no room for masks, sticks, helmets, body-armour, molotov-cocktails.
Do we want the interbellum street-violence to be reawakened?
Do we want another Baader-Meinhoff-movement?
Do we want to give excuses to the fascists for their violence?
It's violence for violence - just stop it - keep it out
They will allways have the bigger force, but our minds and determination will prevail
- stop the violence

It is unbelieveable to hear of the beatings that police inflicted upon the innocent....however, if one reviews history, it repeats itself..and suddenly we are in Nazi Germany again...and suffer the spoils of the powerful...woe to our humanistic sides...and woe to police everywhere examples of humans that are indoctrined to just follow orders...and forget that they have a mind...it isn't a matter of the concept of anti-gobalization vs gobalization...it is once again the weak being trambled by the powerful...the powerful are the ones that legally hold the guns and weapons to contain or change our minds....this is just the beginning of a long and bitter road ahead for my children and grand-children.

>Alleigence and reliance on designated leaders has, I
>think, led to the current state of the world. I think we
>should encourage everyone to take responsibility for
>themselves, and lead their own selves, and come to
>decisions in a space where they meet at the same level
>with each other.

What planet did *you* come from? What you suggest just doesn't work. There's a broad spectrum between the kind of jack-booted fascism displayed in Genoa and the fuzzy, directionless kind of "let's-all-just-groove" state you describe.

I'm glad you're happy in your fantasy world. Just know it's not reality.

Just thought I'd let people know that we've heard that charges have been dropped against some of the protestors taken from the IMC building and they are being deported.

I know this direct from a relative of mine who was arrested and detained and allowed a short phonecall to his mother.

Perhaps someone in Genoa could let us know how many have had charges dropped against them and what state those to be deported are in? Also when the deportations will happen?

Thanks.

For those unfamiliar with history..

Nazi's started out as a minority group with "Our opinions are the only right opinions and we are being wrongfully crushed by majority"-opinions. Hitler even started by storming a local pub and trying to start a revolution there.

Actually they we're awfully lot like you guys with your demonstrations, rioting and talk of revolution and "our time coming soon". Awfully close...

So when you throw words like Nazi Germany and fascism around, you are actually naming yourselves. 'cause Nazis were just that minority group that pushed their own narrow minded opinion through with force. And when they got to the top, they just couldn't stop that anymore.

Your (talking about people here yelling about revenge and revolution) approach would be taking the world closer to totaliarism. Much closer than we are now. Big majority never planned the killing of jews. It was the small anarchist faction that had their opinions of the free world. Pretty damn much like your activist groups...

So stop to think about that for a moment. ;-)

I have read a variety of sources concerning this matter, and while I haven't been everywhere in the world, I do consider myself to be knowledgable in the ways of the world. First let me start by saying I do not believe in violence at all. I believe the actions of the police in Genoa are inexcusable. I do however have a few questions that I think people should take a look at. Among the reports I have read from Genoa tell about Anarchist groups performing vandalism upon banks, shops and stores throughout Genoa. What does destroying banks and shops not owned by the "G8" have to do with trying to infiltrate the "red zone". Did these Anarchist groups think the police would let this matter just pass without some type of reaction?. Did these Anarchist groups think that the police forces would keep these violent groups separate from the peaceful protest groups?
Any group that wishes to protest must realize that they will be recognized as it's most undesirable part. If the peacful groups allow violent groups to associate with it they too will be considered a violent protest group. I say the fault for these raids fall on the heads of three groups of people, one being the police for conducting the raid, one being the leaders of the violent Anarchist Groups for not insuring that the police knew they were not part nor associated with any peaceful protest groups, and the last being the leaders of the peaceful groups that allow their members to be put in harms way by condoning the methods of the anarchist groups and directing the police to the people I believe they were looking for.
As I stated earlier, I do not in any way support methods the police force used in the raids on the school, but allow me to put this forward. I seriously doubt the police sat in the station and decided that they were going to beat up a bunch of peaceful protesters and destroy computers strictly because they had nothing else to do. After the fact people need to take an objective view of what happened and get all the facts before they go off and start condemning one side or the other.There is always more to any story than what appears on the outside.

The powers that be WANT a violent confrontation with the protesters. Our only hope is to maintain passive resistance. I think we have to dig in for the long haul and work at getting the word out (thanks, Indymedia!) That's what it's all about: getting the word out. I need only to think of how the mass media managed to confuse the public about the Central American revolutions in the 80's to realize the effects of main stream propaganda.

The multinationals and their puppet governments have two strategies in mind: silence the press and turn the protests into violent confrontation. We can't take the bait on the latter and we have to learn how to prevent some of our well-meaning companions from taking it as well. This is going to be tough, considering that people are going to be hurt, as they were in Genoa -but if we fight back it will only get worse and we'll be CAUGHT in their trap! I feel that a Gandhi-style non-violent approach is our only hope.

how can such atrocities still go on in this day and age, is the "media" such a stooge of big business that such things can occur and NOT get adequate and unbiased coverage? where is the media outrage? where are the headlines? i would like to know why this article/event isn't in the LA times, NY times, london daily, and so on.

I was a 'peacefull' protester walking with the black block.

I don't care about windows, I don't see any violence in smashing it, although I haven't done that
I don't throw stones or whatever. I just walked and yelled...

Some of you may wondering what I was doing there in the black block!
Well, let me tell you.

I feel surrounded by people who really care about their ideals, their anger and the willing to fight
Off course not everyone is ok, and I've seen police-provocaters with my own eyes.

I also marched in a 'peacefull' demonstration,
No one seemed to be really angry, we were just marching...
But... there were LOTS of people, and that's the positive thing! But people were singing happy songs, talking about the weather and I felt so lost there!

I SUPPORT CIVIEL DISSOBEDIENCE, I HATE VIOLENCE!!!!!

But when I see someone try to trash a bank, and another to hold him, protecting that bank...
I think the last one is the one who uses violence...
(it's kinda symbolic)
Ok,let's be real now.
trashing a bank brings no solution for any problem in this world.
but it shows someones anger, and it's the anger I miss in lots of peacefull demonstrations. And you don't have to show your anger by destroy something. You can show it your own way!
But everyone is free to demonstrate her own (non-fascist = no guns! no killing!)way,

And I hope the black block will be a bit more ORGANISED next time... If not, I won't join them anymore...
If the black block is better organised (you can see good examples in other demonstrations), provocaters and nazies have less chance to ruin the whole thing.
There has to be a little structure, we all have to respect the peacefull demonstraters, go our own way when we riot, and protect them if NECESSARY.

If some fool is throwing a stone in a wrong moment, trashing a FIATcar or whatever: WE SHOULD STOP HIM!

anarchy is responsibility, NOT TOTAL CHAOS, and every black-blocker have to know that.
I wouldn't be surprised if those other guys on carlos'pic are provocaters.... but YOU NEVER KNOW....

KEEP ON THE ACTIONS, and sorry for my bad english
(lenadepena@yahoo.com)

This is so awful, it makes me cry. It could be your children or parents being treated like this. There is nothing in our media about this up here in Oregon, so please keep sending us reports so we can tell others what is happening.
First they took away the freedom fighters and nobody noticed
Then the sick and still people didn't care
Then all the hippies (or any other group you want to put here) and people thought good ridience
Then they came for the old because they cost to much to care for.
Then they came for the children, because after they were just going to end up criminals anyway in a facist state.

You should have discovered by now after years of protests that all protests are useless,and the absolute truth here is that you are time and again entering into battle or having battle forced upon you,with no prior experience of the art of warfare .Whether you choose to fight your enemy
with peaceful demonstrations or other means,then you need to gather as much information as you can about there numbers,where they are based,and their weaponry,this is one of the principle and most important prelude to waging war on the enemy which is gathering information otherwise known as "INTELLIGENCE GATHERING" and there are two main types of intelligence gathering used which are known as "HUMINT" {human intelligence sources i.e infiltrating you cultural centres getting to know you acting and dressing like you and getting to know all the names faces phone numbers etc}
"ElINT" which is intelligence gathered by electronic means such as the police or govern ment or secret service personnel gaining little known court passes warrants etc to gain otherwise illegal access to your telephones ,computers credit card payment details ,bank details etc.All of this is done usually without you knowing so watch what you say and to whom.Do not say things which you need not.........
Now then information about the enemies battle plans is always gathered in way by the "secret" watching and listening into your computer hardrives and phonelines etc.secondly by human plants pretending to be part of but being paid not to be.
This is why Iraq will be pulverised beyond recognitiont in this next "war" and that is because of the far superior electronic intelligence gathering capabilties of the "west" and that's why the italian police will pulverise you in your next protest unless you decide to follow a more comprehensive battle strategy.
So work and improve in these main areas oh lovers of truth
!1 intelligence gathering ie.
a..What is the chain of command of the enemy
b.. What methods of warfare do they use
c... Where do they train and how,is it in real life mock-up situations.
d...What is the exact inventory of all of the weaponry that they use i.e is it hydro trucks,cs gas or "tear gas",rubber bullets,telescopic steel truncheons.
e..What are the exact methods of containment or physical retraint that the enemy uses i.e wristlocks,chokeholds,strangleholds etc and you will find that most strangleholds chokeholds used by the police are relatively easy to get out of and counter attack if you know how.
f...where do all of your enmy live eat shop shit and socialise
g...what are their pastimes etc do they always visit the same churches, local martial arts clubs masonic lodges cinemas restuarants clubs,grocery stores,convenience stores meat shops disco's etc health clubs,I think you find that most people do vist the same places of interest time and again and excatly out of habit and also because thier friends do and police armed forces government personnel always stick together and go to the same places out of fear for thier own safety.That way they always know who is who in thier neighbourhhoods./.....
All of the "criminal restraint" "choke holds" "strangleholds" that the police use are based in the oriental martial arts such as Ju Jitsu,Tae Kwondo,Karate,Kung Fu.Even the strangleholds that are used by the famous Royce Gracie ju jitsu family from brasil are easy to get out of or easy not to get into if you Know how...
Here is a good website http://www.geoffthompson.com where you can buy many excellent books on getting out of chokeholds strangleholds and "criminal restraint" and also many execllent books videos tapes on how to physically anf efforlessly defend yourself against even the biggest and strongest goverment employed bullys.
You will find that most of the police armed forces goverment personnel are relatively simple to watch and closely monitor.Remember that every enemy is a creature of habit and follows the same routine day in day out,and once you find out all of the enemies movements religion scret socieites then that strength in numbers crap weakens at the base.,....
In this age of persistent police,corporate,and government brutality and oppression of people like yourself,lay down your guitars and tin whistles and learn the art of self defence i.e aikido,wing chun,kendo,and learn how to maim kill and destroy just as "they" do otherwise will you stand by and let them destroy this planet?
There are at least one hundred different ways to incapacitate a person in a split second with little or no effort if you arer willing to learn,no matter how well organised,armed,or big and strong they are.
So try to undertsnad the enemy that you are faced with and stop griping and winging and start fighting
And remember that peaceful protest does not always work in the face of a violent and unpredictable enemy,but the more effort that is put into all this intelligence gathering.,...then the enemies next move can almost always be ascertained.....the more you put in the more you get out

Peaceful protest is fine but imagine the outcome of the illegal italian police raid on the school if you were all conversant in the art of battle and all the "criminal restraint" techniques then you would have all seriously kicked thier asses and send thier cowardly asses packing.
I disagree primarily with this idea that your only alternative to change is peaceful protest because where has all the whinging and griping got you in all these years has it produced a reduction of police brutality HALLO ARE YOU GETTING IT YET GET TOGETHER AND KICK THIER BULLYING ASSES
If we consider the idea and distorted truth about all of the laws about self defence and reasonable force that we have been spoonfed since first school.But it's perfectly fine for the soldiers to go an murder countless iraquis in "defence" of THe "United States".....
SO lets look about all of these double stanadards and bogus truths that "society" and "the media" and "the law" and "the police" and "the government" give us about "wrong and right" etc .......
Is the very reason we feel that peaceful protest is the only way because we might just have been bullied and coerced into believing this by the self same insane idiots who are working "IN OUR BEST INTERESTS" or "IN THE INTERESTS OF DEMOCRACY" or "IN INTERESTS OF NATIONAL SECURITY" or are we looking at "WORKING IN THE INTERESTS OF THIER OWN INTERESTS"
Its also about looking at all the conditioned fear that you have of the police politicians etc and how you can best get rid of it and see that nobody owns anybody on this planet and the real criminals are in the offices of Silvio Berlusconi and all the other"WORLD LEADERS"
we don't need rules we need the freedom the create our own destiny without intereference but to get there we might just need to do a little ass kicking on the way so get stop winging and learn some self defence or let the planet go to waste