| Italian consulate in Amsterdam still occupied |
The consulate was evicted just before midnight. http://italy.indymedia.org for more information.
The italian consulate in Amsterdam was occupied this morning as a protest against the treatment of demonstrants in Genoa during the G8 summit.
The police just told that they won’t evict this night. Negotiations will be continued tomorrow morning.
Nobody is allowed to enter the consulate anymore. People are free to leave but the protesters decided to stay because their demands are not fullfilled (‘releasing all political prisoners’ )
This night there will be a street party to support the people still in jail and the people who are in the consulate
From http://italy.indymedia.org:
Today, Wednesday August 1 2001 at 11:30, 50 activists from the “Ya Pasta! Collective” occupied the Italian consulate at Herengracht 581 in Amsterdam. The action is a protest against the violence used by the Italian police on protestors during the G8 summit in Genoa.
PRESS STATEMENT
Italian Consulate in Amsterdam Occupied for Genoa Police Violence
Today, Wednesday August 1 2001 at 11:30, 50 activists from the “Ya Pasta! Collective” occupied the Italian consulate at Herengracht 581 in Amsterdam. The action is a protest against the violence used by the Italian police on protestors during the G8 summit in Genoa. There is no doubt anymore that many protestors have been beaten up without reason. During the July 21st raid on the Diaz school, where many people found a sleeping place, 93 people have been arrested, 52 of whom had to be taken into hospital. Of this last group, 32 had to stay in hospital for a longer period of time. In the end, only 1 arrested person was charged, the rest have been released without charges. Other evidence have shown systematic torture at police stations and in prisons. A group of women (including one with a broken leg) have been forced into ‘spreadeagle’ stand against a wall for 19 hours. People have been beaten and intimidated, women have been threatened with rape, one person was urinated on by police. The people who are still in jail (like the 25 people from the NoBorderNoNations Street Theatre Caravan) we consider to be political prisoners. The only reason for their detention are their political ideas on migration and neo-liberal economic globalisation. Berlusconi’s government party Forza Italia is (extreme) rightwing, coalition partners Lega Norte and Allianza Nazionale are both neo-fascist parties who are actively countering democratic resistance. Furthermore, most Italian TV stations are owned by the Berlusconi imperium, which makes independent reporting very hard in Italy.
The violence and repression against the G8 protestors in Genoa is not only inspired by a fascist police force and government. It is also the repression we saw being used in Prague and Gothenburg against the resistance against neo-liberal economic globalisation. We are getting too strong, and therefore dangerous to those in power: multinationals, politicians and high level officials. We are millions, not only in the North, but even more in the South, where many people before have died at protests against neo-liberal economic globalisation. The repression won’t stop us, we will continue our resistance.
During the occupation of the Italian consulate we have discovered a large amount of weapons: six kitchen knives, a petrol bomb labelled “thinner”, a black madonna, black shoe police, a broom (including stick) and a package of pointed uncooked spaghetti stalks. This alone would justify an investigation into the activities of all Italian government representatives in The Netherlands. The provisional closure of the consulate would be appropriate. We will remain inside until our demands have been met.
We demand the Italian government to:
- release all political prisoners immediately;
- enable an independent investigation op all police activities in and around Genoa, as well as the treatment of prisoners;
- fire the Minister of Interior Scajola and those directly responsible for the police raid in the Diaz school on July 21st, as well as all police people involved;
- pay the hospital costs and legal aid for arrested and wounded people, as well as the costs for protestors of coping with the traumas suffered during the police violence.We demand the Italian consul to:
- convince all consulate representatives to dissociate themselves from the violence and torture protestors had to endure;
- support the call for an independent investigation. There is enough evidence. If they would choose not to react on these demands, we’d kindly ask them to leave The Netherlands.We demand the Dutch government to:
- call back the Dutch ambassador from Italy as a protest against the Italian police behaviour;
- call the Italian ambassador in The Netherlands for an explanation;
- support the call for an independent investigation.[squat!net]
