After the recent dubious illegal eviction of the long-standing COX 18 social centre in Milan, a big worry has been the (hopefully temporary) loss of the space holding the amazing Primo Moroni archive. Below, relatives of Primo (who died in 1998) outline their outrage at the crap eviction and bullshit from the Mayor of Milan, Moratti
Milan, 27th of January 2009
PRESS RELEASE
Today, we have been acknowledged by the press that the major Letizia Moratti claims to be willing to take care of the files of the Primo Moroni archive and that she is willing to move them in a non-specified site of the Milan’s municipality.
If the major was really even slightly interested in the survival of the Primo Moroni archive, she wouldn’t have sent hundreds of policemen and militarized a whole neighbourhood to clear out the Cox 18 Squat, trying to stop a 30 years old activity and preventing the free access to the files of the Archive and of the Calusca City Light Library.
If she wasn’t moved by a pure will to show her power, with an arrogance that is equal only to the ignorance and greed she has already shown too many times to possess, she would have respected Primo’s decision to place the Archive there.
We repeat, therefore, that for us, relatives of Primo, the natural and only place for the Primo Moroni Archive is the Conchetta Squat and that, if this administration deceives to do something different, it will encounter our most strong opposition.
Cox 18, the Primo Moroni Archive and the Calusca City Light Library are protected and defended by the active solidarity that has been expressed by the city in these days. Don’t touch them.
Sabina, Maysa, Anna and Chiara, relatives of Primo Moroni
BACKGROUND TO THE RECENT EVICTION: At 7am on january the 22nd around 100 policemen entered the squatt COX18, which include in its premises the social center created more than 33 years ago, the Calucsca City Light bookstore, founded in 1971, and the Primo Moroni Archive. In a matter of a few hour, the answer of the city was explicit, a number of comrades, friends and neighbourhoods, gathered in front of the squatt and the armoured police units to confront the unwelcomed guests.
It’s clearly an illegal eviction which doesn’t consider a legal action already going on since july 2008 between the city administration and the squatt COX18 with the sole purpose of taking legal possession of the building. Vice Mayor De Corato, one the main heads trying to suffocate whatever isn’t uniformed, gives the responsibility of the action to head of the police and the regional administration. The DA affirm he wasn’t informed of anything until the eviction was on. Not a real problem, cause all the protagonists agree on the fact that the economic value of the building shouldn’t loose value. They’re talking about money and economic interest as if this was a reasonable explanation for what is going on.
At the present moment. the squatt is sealed and under seizure with all the materials inside, the books and the magazines of the bookstore and the archive included. The COX18 squatt, the Calusca Bookstore and the Primo Moroni Archive represent an important piece of radical and workers’ history; they testify the possibility to elude the principle of commercialization of things and thoughts. We’re not alone, we got the company of others squats, places of free expression and exchange of ideas. Our survival is the survival of freedom of expression, thought and action; of the chance to master our own destiny and future, of any chance not to be judged and considered for what we can/want to spend.
It’s pretty clear we don’t consider this ‘game’ close, we recognize the ones refusing the homogeneity of monolithic thought guaranteed by the market and this pseudo democracy: they want us compatible, buyers and buyable, ordered and uniformed, we’ll remain what we know we are: original, always ready to spread knowledge, not homogenous and critical to whatever is imposed as truth.
http://cox18.noblogs.org/
