Bologna (Italy): social center XM24 supporters face down national agenda to close self-organized spaces

By: fawda - June 27th, 2019  Filed under: News

The autonomous public space XM24 in Bologna is one of the latest organizations to come under pressure from Italian authorities aiming to evict and disperse them. National politicians such as Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, a leader of the far-right Northern League (Lega Nord) and collaborationist municipal governments have cracked down on multi-purpose, autonomous social spaces across Italy.

Bologna has a long history as a “red city” with substantial leftist and anti-authoritarian organizing, with the oldest university in Europe dating to 1088 and continuing political influence by communist and socialist parties. Partisan fighters (partigiani) carried out guerrilla warfare against Mussolini’s fascist forces during World War II in the surrounding region. A popular armed uprising aimed at social revolution finally liberated the city on April 21, 1945, a day now commemorated every year.

From World War II to the present day, antifascist groups maintain a strong presence in Bologna. The cover photo above is from an April 25, 2019 antifascist demonstration that passed by XM24, marking a national day of liberation from fascism. The yellow banner says “Against all fascisms. Against racism, sexism and exploitation.” [Read More]

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Call for Solidarity with the Imprisoned of Operazione Scintilla, Italy

By: fawda - February 14th, 2019  Filed under: Communique, News

Summary of the recent repressive operation in Italy in connection with the resistance against the Italian migration regime.

On Thursday 7 February 2019, at 4:40 a.m., the eviction of the squat Asilo Occupato in Via Alessandria 12 in Turin, occupied since 1995, began. The eviction was carried out as part of the Operazione Scintilla (Operation Spark). Several hundred Carabinieri in riot gear, police officers and Guardia di finanza with machine guns and plain clothes police not only evicted the house, but also arrested six anarchists. A seventh person is still being searched for.

The charges are serious: formation of a subversive association, incitement to crime and the possession, manufacture and transportation of explosives in a public place. The charges are related to the resistance against the Italian migration regime, namely against the deportation camps/prisons CPR and CIE (Centro per l’Immigrazione e il Rimpatrio, Immigration and Repatriation Centre: Centro di identificazione ed espulsione, Identification and Deportation Centre).

The Asilo was evicted as part of this operation because the state regards it as the logistical and operational base of this subversive, insurrectional association. The eviction of the Asilo was delayed by the squatters for 36 hours because some of them had retreated to the roofs. In the meantime, sympathizers organized wild demos in the city, where there were clashes with the police. The Asilo was made uninhabitable in the last few days (destruction inside, bricked up windows, etc.). [Read More]

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Turin (Italy): Asilo Occupato and CSO Giulio Cesare evicted

By: fawda - February 10th, 2019  Filed under: News

Thursday February 7, early in the morning, the cops with the help of the fire brigade, stormed the Asilo Occupato, a place that has been occupied since 1995 and been scene of organisation of social struggles (against evictions, against prisons for migrants, still a few years ago against the TAV…). People climbed on to the roof, where they remained for over 24 hours. In the end, the cops managed to get everyone out and condemn the building. Same thing for Le Serrande, the occupation of Corso Giulio Cesare.

Several solidarity gatherings took place in the neighbourhood, which had been completely cordoned off by the cops. Apparently some people have been arrested for resistance or violence against the blues. The evening rally to discuss the situation at Radio Blackout turned into a wild demonstration.

In addition to evicting the premises, the aim of this repressive operation was to arrest persons accused of subversive association. The 6 arrested (another person, under arrest warrant, wasn’t found) are accused of a series of explosive attacks against companies and institutions (including the French Embassy and several Post Offices) related to the detention and expulsion of migrants. [Read More]

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Turin: Updates on the 3rd May arrests

By: fawda - September 4th, 2017  Filed under: Communique, News

A court of review hearing, held to decide over Kam, Fran, Antonio, Beppe and Lorenzo ended a few hours ago. The charges that led the five comrades behind bars and banned Monica and Michela from the city were discussed, in order to decide if the measures imposed before the trial were to be modified.

Even if the hearing was held behind closed doors we learned that a large assortment of cops was in the courtroom: plain clothes officers from Porta Palazzo police station, Digos officers, screws, [prosecutors] Padalino’s and Rinaudo’s bodyguards and a bunch of carabinieri. They were all there to highlight the power that they hold in a courtroom. Power transferred through court papers and the reconstruction of that night’s events, like the events of many other nights, days and moments spent in a corner of some police station or in the streets during a police check. Anything that happens before and after, the cause and the effect, are mixed up to create a tale that is more effective on paper, the assessment of the charges and the weight of the sentence.

Nothing to be surprised about; the violence of the cops’ control in the streets is backed up by the violence of the sterile language of court papers, imprisonment and the limitation of freedom. We won’t dwell on the chronological order of that night’s events. It’s more interesting to look at what those events have provoked more generally. [Read More]

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Turin: Police storm several occupied spaces and make 6 arrests

By: fawda - May 14th, 2017  Filed under: Communique, News

20170503_Asilo_Occupato_Torino_At 6:30am on 3rd May antiriot police and carabinieri squads coordinated by Digos and ROS, stormed Asilo Occupato, the squats on Corso Giulio Cesare and Borgo Dora and two houses in Turin and Barge; the local media also mentioned raids carried out in Bologna and Cuneo, of which we have no confirmation.

The pretext for this repressive operation, which led to six comrades being arrested, is an alleged scuffle that took place outside Asilo last February at the end of a night event; the charges are kidnapping, aggravated damage and resisting public officials. Antonio from Lecce, Antonio Sardo, Camille, Fabiola, Fran and Giada were taken to the prison of Le Vallette, and there’s mention of an unconfirmed seventh arrest.

In the meantime, as the cops are taking it easy and don’t seem to want to go away in spite of the arrests made, we are calling for the squatters still on the roof to join the gathering on Corso Brescia, corner with via Alessandria. [Read More]

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Turin: Six arrests in latest raid on Asilo Occupato

By: fawda - May 6th, 2017  Filed under: News

20170503_Asilo_Occupato_TorinoHeavily armed officers from the General Investigations and Special Operations Division of Italy (Digos) broke down the front door and invaded the Asilo Occupato (occupied asylum) building in Turin on Wednesday, arresting six activists.

Occupants of the anarchist-run space, located on Via Allesandria, in the neighbourhood of Aurora, resisted for several hours on the roof of the property before the raid. Carabinieri (Italian militarised police) also participated in the repressive operation.

Among the detainees are four Italians (Fabiola De Costanzo,Antonio Pittalis, Antonio Rizzo, and Giada Volpacchio), a Frenchwoman (Camille Casteran) and a Spaniard (Francisco Javier Esteban Tosina), who were detained as a “precautionary measure.”

The arrests are related to a clash with carabinieri guards that took place on February 28th in the vicinity of Asilo. Agents alleged obstruction and damage to a police vehicle as they prepared to carry out the identification of a “suspect” but were stymied by the arrival of 15 people who blocked them from doing so.

Asilo Occupato has been targeted by repressive institutions for months, which have issued several precautionary measures against people who visit it, such as a ban on residing in Turin or preventive detention. In December, eight people were arrested for “not respecting residence prohibitions” imposed on them in a major dawn raid. [Read More]

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Turin (Italy): Four squats searched, three people arrested and others to house arrest

By: liberation - May 16th, 2010  Filed under: News

May 12th, 2010

Waiting for news, we communicate that, around 6am of the morning, the Digos [political police] has searched many occupations (Asilo, Barocchio, Mezcal, Askatasuna) and houses, arresting three people, notifying some house arrests (it seems they’re four people) and to others, the requirement to sign in at the local police station. The repressive operation it’s a revenge for the riots occurred on the eviction of L’Ostile [last december], the restricted measures are emaned by PM Rinaudo. There’s a public assembly today afternoon at Mezcal squat to organize future iniziatives.

For live updates listen to Radio Blackout, 105.2 FM in Turin and http://stream.teknusi.org:8000/blackout.mp3 [Read More]

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