[NuovoLab] G8 Genoa: state prosecution demands 225 years of …

http://gipfelsoli.org/Multilanguage/English/4366.html



Press Release

Monday, 29th October 2007

a.. Those charged face compensation claims for Genoa's "image loss"
b.. Solidarity demonstrations in Genoa and Rostock
Six years after the G8 summit protests in Genoa a number of court cases against demonstrators and members of the police force are still taking place. The cases against police officers and Carabinieri are being stalled in order to take advantage of the statute of limitation that will soon expire. In the cases against the 25 activists the state prosecuters Canepa and Canciani are displaying full force. There have never been such high sentence demands for street clashes.

The witnesses have all been heard. In its plea the state prosecution is demanding jail sentences between 6 and 16 years, a total of 225 years. With these convictions they intend to write history: "Let's call Genoa what it was: looting and destruction". Last week the Government in Rome ordered compensation claims against the 25 charged. These claims total 2.6 million Euros for the property damage that occurred, for example at the Marassi prison. Included in this is a large sum intended as compensation for the image loss the city of Genoa is said to have suffered.

"Genoa was a revolt. The 25 charged stand for all of the 300 000 people in the streets of Genoa. In all the diversity, there was one common goal: to delegitimise the G8 and the Red Zone", Hanne Jobst of the Gipfelsoli Infogroup stated.

Under the banner, "Back to Genoa", many of the different groups who mobilised against the Genoa summit in 2001 are now calling for a demonstration in Genoa on November 17th as a unified display of strength and solidarity. The demonstration is supported by Members of Parliament Luca Casarini and Vittorio Agnoletto, as well as Haidi Giuliani, the mother of Carlo Giuliani who was shot dead by police during the demonstrations in 2001. Further supporters include Father Don Andrea Gallo and Naomi Klein.

Members of the Alleanza Nazionale and the right-wing police union are demanding that the demonstration to be prohibited. With the slogan, "Looting to defend their arguments; Black Block, No Global and their surroundings", the police themselves intend to march on Genoa. The police union COISP has registered "sit-ins" in all public places.

"We will not let the police and the state prosecution write the history of the Genoa protests", activists from Genoa declared. The police were the ones who started the confrontations in the streets after one of the units arbitrarily attacked the legal demonstration of the "Disobbedienti". During the clashes another unit shot the 23-year old Carlo Giuliani. Hundreds of people were brutally mishandled in the streets and prisons. The next day the police and Carabinieri attacked demonstrators whilst they were asleep in the "Diaz School".

On November 17th there will be a solidarity demonstration in the German town of Rostock against the police attacks, mass arrests and mistreatments during the G8 summits in Genoa and Heiligendamm.

Background Information (multi-language):
a.. Genoa sentences: http://gipfelsoli.org/Repression/4357.html
b.. Compensation claims by the Italian Government: http://gipfelsoli.org/Repression/4353.html
c.. Call to protest: 'We, from the Via Tolemaide': http://de.indymedia.org/2007/10/198064.shtml
d.. Antirepression Demo November 17th in Rostock: http://antirep.blogsport.de
e.. SupportoLegale Genova: http://supportolegale.org
f.. The Committee for Truth and Justice for Genoa: http://www.veritagiustizia.it/english.php
g.. Global Project: http://www.globalproject.info/index-en.html
h.. Gipfelsoli Infogroup on the Genoa protests: http://gipfelsoli.org/Home/Genua_2001
Contact:
a.. Segretaria Legale Genua +39 10 8602573
b.. Gipfelsoli Infogruppe +49 160 953 14 023
Press fotos (Creative Commons-Licence):
a.. http://gipfelsoli.org/rcms_repos/images/13/010720_disobbedienti_full.jpeg
b.. http://gipfelsoli.org/rcms_repos/images/13/010720_carabinieri_chiuso.jpeg