G8 Summit - Protest News Digest - July.2001
http://Citizensontheweb.ca

* The collection of news reports below is from protest and corporate media sources.

Headlines:

-Italy/G8 Summit: Amnesty International calls for commission of inquiry
-Horrible human rights abuses in Genoa jails
-Upping the Ante on Police Action
-The dark side of Italy's paramilitary force
-At Rabble - 300,000 March Against the G8
-Summit violence 'out of control', Chretien says
-Toronto Mobilization for Global Justice Protests G8 Violence
-Genoa 7/21 By Starhawk
-Vigils for Victims of Police/State Violence at Genoa G8 Summit
-Horrific raid on GSF and IMC Genoa : Report
-Violent start to summit's final day
-Summit shooting death investigation begins
-Starhawk from Genoa, Friday
-DEADLY G8 RIOT
-July 20th update.... Genova ...what the hell is going on
-Protester Dies After Being Shot Outside G8 Summit
-Protester shot dead by police during G-8 riots
-Protester dies in Genoa, Chretien presses on with next G-8 summit in Canada
-BBC - Summit leaders condemn 'anarchy'
-ABC - On Edge - Leaders of World's Richest Nations Try to Get Their Message Out Despite Protests
-IMC NEWS BLAST
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Italy/G8 Summit: Amnesty International calls for commission of inquiry
AI Index: EUR 30/006/2001
Publish date: 31/07/2001

In the light of continuing reports and allegations of human rights violations during the G8 policing operation in Genoa, the conduct of the Italian law enforcement and prison officers involved should be comprehensively investigated by an independent commission of inquiry, Amnesty International said today.

The organization wrote to Italy's Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, expressing concern about the alleged human rights violations committed in the context of the G8 policing operation and asking for the Italian authorities' cooperation in ensuring that such allegations are promptly and thoroughly investigated.

While welcoming the initiation of criminal investigations by the Italian judicial authorities, Amnesty International believes that -- given the scale and gravity of the allegations still emerging, and the very high level of domestic and international concern -- these investigations are unlikely to provide an adequate response.

"As well as safeguarding the interests of genuine victims of torture or ill-treatment, a prompt, impartial and effective investigation by an independent commission would also serve to protect the reputations of law enforcement and prison officers who may be the subject of unfounded accusations of excessive force, torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment," the organization added.

In its letter the organization sets out the criteria that should inform the establishment of a commission of inquiry, including:
that it should comprise people of acknowledged probity and impartiality;
that its scope, methods and findings should be made public;
that the commission should be given jurisdiction to take evidence from alleged victims of ill-treatment, and that such people be protected against harassment and intimidation;
that the commission should also be empowered to summon and take evidence from law enforcement and prison officers.

"The commission of enquiry should file interim reports to facilitate the prompt initiation of any appropriate criminal or disciplinary proceedings, identifying specific instances and individuals whenever possible," Amnesty International recommended, adding that these reports should also facilitate prompt amendments to regulations, laws, training and procedures relevant to law enforcement and prison officers.

In a previous letter sent to the Italian Minister of the Interior ahead of the G8 Summit, Amnesty International had urged the Italian authorities to ensure that law enforcement officials engaged in the policing of the G8 Summit were aware of, and at all times acted in accordance with, relevant international human rights standards.

"We are now asking the Italian authorities to provide us with information on any relevant instructions and training which were given to state officers in the lead up to G8 with regard to these standards," the organization said.

Background
Amnesty International is concerned about allegations that:

- in the days immediately preceding the G8 summit, some protestors with apparently peaceful intent were not allowed to enter Italy or were expelled and not allowed to proceed to Genoa, thus violating their rights to freedom of expression and assembly. In incidents at the Port of Ancona some such protestors were allegedly subjected to ill- treatment by law enforcement officers;

- law enforcement officers used excessive force on the streets during demonstrations which took place on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 July, inflicting indiscriminate assaults, including beatings with batons, on -- amongst others -- non-violent protestors and journalists reporting on the demonstrations;

- during a police raid carried out on buildings legally occupied by the Genoa Social Forum (GSF) in the early hours of Sunday, 22 July law enforcement officers subjected individuals detained to deliberate and gratuitous beatings, resulting in numerous injuries, some of them requiring urgent hospitalization and in some cases surgical operations. Up to 20 people were reportedly carried out of the building on stretchers, two of them apparently in a coma;

- dozens of people were subjected to arbitrary and illegal arrest and detention, including the majority of those detained during the raid on the Genoa Social Forum;

- during transfer in police vehicles and inside detention facilities law enforcement and prison officers subjected individuals to beatings and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. It has been claimed, amongst other things, that detainees were slapped, kicked punched and spat on, subjected to verbal abuse, sometimes of an obscene sexual nature, were deprived of food, water and sleep for lengthy periods, made to line up with their faces against the wall and remain for hours spread-eagled, and beaten, in particular on parts of their bodies already injured during arrest if they failed to maintain this position. Some detainees were apparently threatened with death and, in the case of female detainees, rape;

- many people were denied the internationally-recognized rights of people deprived of their liberty, in some cases for several days. This included denial of prompt access to lawyers and, in the case of foreigners, consular officials, and denial of prompt and adequate medical care. In addition, many were not allowed to have their relatives promptly notified of their whereabouts and were not informed of their rights.

\ENDS

public document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW web : http://www.amnesty.org
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Horrible human rights abuses in Genoa jails:

On Monday, July 23rd, a group of media activists were allowed to visit some of the Imprisoned in the jails and prisons in Genova. They could talk about five minutes to some of the imprisoned.

Report from the jail "Vercelli"

The media activists could speak to three women, five minutes each. The women declared that they all have been beaten, when they were arrested and/or in jail/at the police station. The wounds at their heads and in the faces emphazised the reports.
The situation of the men seems to be much more serious. The three women told that they could hear the men being tortured and "punished" throughout the whole night.

Report from another Police station in Genova:

Except for one women all others were sorted in nationalities and put into 2-3 cells. Although it seems that they were treated better than the people in "Vercelli", they have been beaten and kicked when they went to the toilet. The police shouted at them and used bad words. But they (the imprisoned) all told, that it could have been worse. Some were allowed to make phone calls.

Report from other women arrested on Saturday (in jail "Vercelli"):

Some of the women told that they were not beaten, but there were other terrible things happening in there. The police were obviously organized fascist, e.g. they called the imprisoned "fucking Jewish gypsies" or they were shouting "hasta la victoria siempre" while showing the Hitler's Greeting. There were Mussolini Pictures on the walls.
Teargas was thrown into the cells, so that somebody who stood next to the prisoners was vomiting blood. Some of the women were forced to stand 19 hours with their arms lifted, without getting nothing to drink for the same time. there only was one police officer, that was obviously shocked by himself and brought about 200ml. of water for about nineteen people. One's person's leg was broken and couldn't stand up anymore. she/he was beaten until she managed to stand up somehow leaning to the wall. The people in jail reported that the police women were much worse than the men. They pulled people by their hair and the imprisoned had the impression they were "total psychopaths"!
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UPPING THE ANTE ON POLICE ACTION

OTTAWA – New Democrat foreign affairs critic Svend Robinson said this week he fears the extreme violence at the Group of Eight meeting in Genoa, which led to the death of one protester, will set the stage for extraordinary security at Kananaskis, Alberta, site of next year’s G8 Summit.

“The problem is what this leads to is a criminalization of all dissent, a very totalitarian heavy-handed approach,'' he said. “People who peacefully, non-violently, want to protest corporate globalization or the loss of democracy can't do it because of the actions of a small group of violent anarchists.''

Mr. Robinson said police are constantly “upping the ante'” in measures used to crack down on dissenters, with plastic bullets being used at the recent Summit of the Americas in Quebec City and now live ammunition in Italy.

The MP for Burnaby-Douglas said be believes Canadians will not associate extremists with his Party's effort to find allies among environmental and anti-globalization activists.
“I think Canadians understand clearly the distinction between the actions of a very small group of violent anarchists and the vast majority of peaceful, non-violent protesters.”

‘THIS IS A MISTAKE. THEY’LL STOP SOON.’

"Giornalista inglese!" I shouted at the dozen police who, clad in full riot gear, were running towards me. My mind was reeling. More truncheon blows rained on me. "This is a mistake. They'll stop soon," I kept thinking.
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The dark side of Italy's paramilitary force

Special report: globalisation
Rory Carroll

Friday July 27, 2001
The Guardian

Rightwing thugs employed as Italian police officers were told by superiors they could brutalise with impunity the protesters detained in Genoa, it was claimed yesterday.

Officers seized the opportunity to batter, terrify and humiliate dozens of people after being assured they had the "cover" to do so, according to the Rome daily La Repubblica.

An anonymous police officer confirmed the accounts of torture given by the bruised, shaken protestors released from prison. "Unfortunately, it is all true."

The officer claimed that as last weekend's assaults intensified and victims passed out he asked colleagues to stop. He alleges that they told him: "We don't have to worry because we are covered."

He admitted his men had run amok in the protesters' headquarters but claimed that the alleged torture in the Bolzaneto holding centre was the work of GOM, the penitentiary police. He said GOM officers wore black gloves and boasted in advance of teaching the anarchists a lesson.

The three inquiries launched into the police violence will attempt to determine who gave the orders but there is no doubt that scores of police officers agreed to follow the orders.

The question of how such bloodlust consumed some members of the police and paramilitary carabinieri has sparked uproar in parliament. There is pressure for a commission of inquiry which could oust cabinet ministers.

Francisco Martone, a Green party senator, told the BBC that fascists had infiltrated the police. Released Italian, German and Spanish protestors yesterday spoke of heads being banged against walls, threats of rape with batons, people vomiting blood, soiling themselves and being urinated upon.

Football fans have long complained about the dark side of Italian policing but opinion polls have shown robust public support for responses to fan violence.

A green light from above was enough to unleash savagery for a number of reasons. The police are generally rightwing and have a tradition of suppressing leftwing  protest. A popular ditty goes: "One, two, three, viva Pinochet/ four, five, six, death to the Jews."

Silvio Berlusconi's ruling coalition includes the post-fascist National Alliance which won last May's election partly on a platform of law and order. Some commentators suggest this may have emboldened police commanders.

The carabinieri are considered less political but can be gung-ho. Jokes about their stupidity pepper Italian dinner parties.

The decision to deploy poorly trained conscripts serving their one-year military service was a major blunder. They proved easily frightened and easily provoked, and after two days of dodging rocks they wanted revenge. Many are from the south where poverty, poor education and conservatism breeds suspicion of the anti-globalisation movement.

The intelligence services hyped them up with warnings of terrorist attack and supposed anarchist tactics - such as hurling bags of HIV-infected blood. Days before the summit they were already jumpy.

Enrico Sciaccaluga, 19, a Genoa student, said some were so agitated the night of the raid that they appeared drugged.

Another explanation offered is that the police chief, Gianni De Gennaro, knew all about fighting the mafia but nothing about crowd control.
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Summit violence 'out of control', Chretien says
Poverty, education not burning cars should be agenda's focus
From Canadian Press
http://www.thestar.com/images/genoa_010722.jpg

LUCIANO DEL CASTILLO/AFP
BLACK DAY: A ``Black Bloc'' demonstrator stands atop an overturned car in Genoa, Italy, yesterday.
GENOA, Italy (CP) - Third World poverty reduction and education - not burning cars - must be the focus of next year's G-8 summit in Canada, Prime Minister Jean Chretien said today at the close of this violence-racked meeting.

The Genoa summit of the Group of Eight major industrialized countries concluded without any consensus on the Kyoto protocol on greenhouse gases - but with a unified front on the need to change the summit format to refocus attention on the content.

''It's getting out of control, somewhat,'' Chretien said before announcing next year's meeting will take place in the Rocky Mountain resort of Kananaskis, about 60 kilometres from Calgary.

''I have said to all the leaders there will be no more than 30 to 35 delegates accepted on the site...I had no problem to convince them at all that it is what is needed.''

Senior Canadian officials had insisted no site had been chosen right through the weekend, but Chretien revealed Sunday he cleared the plan with Alberta Premier Ralph Klein before coming to Genoa.

Ottawa had been pegged as the likely site and the shift is significant.

The Genoa summit has been overshadowed by violent protests in the streets of the medieval port city, despite unprecedented security measures. On Friday, a 23-year-old Italian protester was shot dead by police, the first such death after three years of escalating demonstrations at world economic forums.

Chretien said demonstrations are a necessary part of democracy and have helped move the G-8 agenda, but he denounced the violence and warned against anarchy in Canada.

''If the anarchists want to destroy democracy we will not let them succeed. . . . We will make sure that those who break (the law) will be punished.''

''It is necessary to return to the initial spirit of these summits,'' said French President Jacques Chirac.

The leaders agreed their annual get-togethers help co-ordinate economic policies and seek solutions to global poverty.

''Everyone feels the G-8 has to continue,'' said Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who expressed disappointment that the goal of the majority of peaceful protesters was wrecked by ''troublemakers.''

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said it would be ''a very dangerous thing if the leaders, democratically elected leaders, felt unable to come together to discuss issues that are of vital importance to our people.''

The isolated Kananaskis site should ensure that protests are minimized. Chretien said legitimate dissent is welcome and can help focus attention on the substance of the summit talks.

''Burning cars is not a demonstration. Burning buildings is not a demonstration,'' said Chretien.

And he denounced the international media for its preoccupation with violent demonstrations, noting he'd seen the same burning vehicle in newscasts and newspapers all across Italy. Chretien wants the world to pay attention to what the leaders are discussing.

''For me it is more important than that darn car.''

The Italian government said the summit cost close to over $225 million Cdn, including $40 million for security and $185 million for refurbishing the city.

Despite some successes - a $2-billion AIDS fund was announced - the summit had its limitations.

The closing communique acknowledged that no headway was made on the impasse over the Kyoto protocol.

''While there is currently disagreement on the Kyoto protocol and its ratification, we are committed to working intensively together to meet our common objective (or reducing emissions),'' said the communique.

The communique said there was agreement on ''the launch of an ambitious new round of global trade negotiations'' at World Trade Organization meetings this November in Qatar.

Oxfam International, a Third World food-aid agency, immediately denounced the Genoa summit as a failure.

''The G-8 did nothing meaningful on debt relief, and announced a global AIDS fund that still needs much more resources and does nothing about the cost of drugs in these countries,'' Oxfam spokesman Tony Burden said in a release.

''It's unacceptable that these promises remain unmet.''

Still, the group praised Canada's ''bold commitment'' to focus on education in developing countries at next year's summit.

Chretien met privately with U.S. President George W. Bush on Sunday morning, but there appeared to be no change in entrenched Kyoto positions.

Europe wants to press ahead, Canada insists on expanding the credits for cleaner fuels and carbon sinks and the U.S. rejects the current accord as an economic anchor.

''We're not there yet,'' Chretien said after the meeting, and added that negotiators in Bonn, Germany, currently working to revive the accord likely won't get a deal.

''Bonn probably will not have our agreement,'' said Chretien.

The prime minister also dismissed a story that Bush would request bulk exports of Canadian water during their meeting here.

''He didn't ask for water,'' said Chretien. ''I said we have good water - in bottles.''

The two also discussed the proposed U.S. missile defence shield, another key area of disagreement among the G-8 countries because it could unilaterally breach the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

Chretien noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Bush have discussed amending the treaty. And after a meeting following the summit, Putin and Bush announced they agreed to new arms talks on offensive and defensive weapons.

Under the agreement, the U.S. program would be tied to reducing the nuclear stockpiles held by each country, Bush and Putin said.

The fact that Putin was an active participant at the G-8 table is significant, said Chretien.

''This is not the type of world I knew years ago.''
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Toronto Mobilization for Global Justice Protests G8 Violence –July.22.2001
Photos of Toronto Demo
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/gdemo1.jpg
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/gdemo2.jpg
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/gdemo3.jpg
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/gdemo4.jpg

   A few hundred mob4glob people hit the Italian Consulate with a demonstration against the G8 violence in Genoa.
   Graphic photos and reports on the police shooting of 23-year-old Carlo Giuliani have outraged and sickened many people. Carlo was shot in the head and backed over by a police jeep, and just left there as riot cops and tear gas smoked by him.
   Toronto protesters drummed and marched in a circle. The street was chalked and the death was represented by a protester playing dead on the road. Chants and drumming became furious – people shouting - From Dudley George to G8, People will Retaliate and This is What Democracy Looks Like, This is what Hypocrisy Looks Like.
   A march ended at the US consulate, Steve Kerr and others spoke and entertainment came from radical cheerleaders.
   Latest reports from Genoa indicate increasing police violence, including many beatings and a raid on independent media as police move to destroy media records of the events.
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Vigils for Victims of Police/State Violence at Genoa G8 Summit
(young man murdered by police, hundreds injured)

Photos:
Police study victim
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/genoa1.jpg
Riot cops march past as victim is dead on the ground
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/genoa2.jpg
Fallen with fire extinguisher beside him
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/genoa3.jpg
Man with bloodied face
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/genoa4.jpg
Woman weeps over body
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/genoa5.jpg
Flowers for Carlo
http://photosc.msspro.com/pic/genoa6.jpg
 

   Email reports are out noting vigils in New York, Vancouver and Toronto. I was at the Toronto candlelight vigil which drew a large crowd on short notice. A second demo takes place today Saturday July 21st 3:00 PM at the Italian Consulate, corner of Beverly and Dundas Toronto.

   The Toronto Sun report on the Toronto Vigil was brief and poorly written. It failed to focus on the fact that Carlo Giuliani was gunned down by paramilitary police, and not a victim of gas or rubber bullets.

   Prime Minister Jean Chretien took time to speak out on next year's G8 in Canada. Offering no concessions to activists or the poor, he defends the rights of rich nations. Aside from the G8 Canada is planning to sign on to a version of the Kyoto climate deal that our negotiators have rendered useless.

   The young man killed in a police shooting in Genoa has been identified as 23-year-old Carlo Giuliani, who is from Rome but was living in Genoa. Photos posted from before, during, and after the killing show that he was shot in the head with a pistol at point-blank range while attempting to hurl a fire extinguisher into a police jeep. After Carlo fell to the ground from two gunshots to the head, the jeep backed up and ran over him.

   The Mobilization for Global Justice email news says that the repression and murder of activists was planned by the Italian government which:
... declared they would deploy tanks in the streets and shut down the airport  and train stations.
... ordered 200 body bags.
... cleared a hospital ward to act as a morgue for dead activists and citizens.
... moved the G8 meetings to a cruise ship docked at Genoa port so that they would not be disturbed .

   Corporate Media appears to be ignoring the issues and painting demonstrators as violent.

Gary Morton
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I think I’m calm, that I’m not in shock, but my fingers are trembling as I write this. We were up at the school that serves as a center for media, medical and trainings. We had just finished our meeting and were talking, making phone calls, when we heard shouts and sirens and the roar of people yelling, objects breaking. The cops had come and they were raiding the center. We couldn’t get out of the building because there were two many people at the entrance. Lisa grabbed my hand and we went up, running up the five flights of stairs, up to the very top. Jeffrey joined us, people were scattering and looking for places to hide. We weren’t panicking but my heart was pounding and I could hardly catch my breathe. We found an empty room, a couple of tables, grabbed some sleeping bags to cover our heads if we got beaten. And waited. Helicopters were buzzing over the building, we could hear doors being slammed and voices shouting below, then quiet. Someone came in, walked around, left. I couldn’t seem to breath deep and I had an almost uncontrollable cough—but I controlled it.
 

I lay there remembering we had lots and lots of people sending us love and protection and I was finally able to breathe. The light went on. Through a crack between the tables, I could see a helmet, a face. A big Italian cop with a huge paunch loomed over us. He told us to come out. He didn’t seem in beating mode, but we stayed where we were, tried to talk to him in English and Spanish and the few Italian words I know: “paura” “fear” and “pacifisti.” He took us down to the third floor, where a whole lot of people were sitting, lined up against the walls. We waited. Someone came in, demanding to know whether there was someone there from Irish Indy media. We waited. Lawyers arrived: The police left. For some arcane reason of Italian law, because it was a media place we had some right to be there, although the school across the street was also a media center and they went in there and beat people up. We watched for a long time out the windows. They began carrying people out on stretchers. One, Two, a dozen or more. A crowd had gathered and were shouting “Assessini! Assesini!” The brought out the waking wounded, arrested them and took them away. We believe they brought someone out in a body bag.
 

The crowd below was challenging the cops and the cops were challenging the crowd and suddenly a huge circle of media gathered, bright camera lights. Monica, who is hosting us and is with the Genoa Social Forum, came up and found us. She’d been calling embassies and media and may have saved us from getting hurt once the cops finished with the first building. All the time there were helicopters thrumming and shining bright lights into the building. A few brave men were holding back the angry crowd, who seemed ready to charge the line of riot cops that was formed up in front of the school, shields up and gas masks on. “Tranquilo, tranquilo,” the men were saying, holding up their hands and restraining the angry crowd from a suicidal charge. I was on the phone home, then back to the window, back to the phone. Finally, the cops went away. We went down to the first floor, outside, heard the story. They had come in to the rooms where people were sleeping. Everyone had raised up their hands, calling out “pacifisti! Pacifist!” And they beat the shit out of every person there. There’s no pretty way to say it. We went into the other building: there was blood at every sleeping spot, pools of it in some places, stuff thrown around, computers and equipment trashed. We all wandered around in shock, not wanting to think about what is happening to those they arrested, to those they took to the hospital. We know that they have arrested everyone they take to the hospital, taken people to jail and tortured them. One of the young Frenchmen from our training, Vincent, had his head badly beaten on Friday in the street. In jail, they took him into a room, twisted his arms behind his back and banged his head on the table. Another man was taken into a room covered with pictures of Mussolini and pornography, and alternately slapped around and then stroked with affection in a weird psychological torture. Others were forced to shout, “Viva El Duce!” ! ! Just in case it isn’t clear that this is Fascism. Italian variety, but it is coming your way. It is the lengths they will go to to defend their power. It’s the lie that globalization means democracy. I can tell you, right now, tonight, this is not what democracy looks like.

I’ve got to stop now. We should be safe if we can make our way back to where we’re stayiing. Call the Italian Embassy. Go there, shame them! We may not be able to mount another demonstration tomorrow here if the situation stays this dangerous. Please, do something!
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Horrific raid on GSF and IMC Genoa : Report
by IMCista 6:29am Sun Jul 22 '01 (Modified on 8:05am Sun Jul 22 '01)
 

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.
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Violent start to summit's final day
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1450000/images/_1450858_smash300afp.jpg

Clashes between police and protesters have continued
A police raid on the headquarters of a group co-ordinating protest action at the G8 summit in Genoa has left at least 40 protesters injured.
 

They came in, blocked the door and kept beating us with sticks and kicking us, one after the other

Michael Gieser
The anti-globalisation movement, the Genoa Social Forum, said the police burst into its offices shortly after midnight (2200 GMT Saturday) and attacked the people inside.

A BBC correspondent who entered the building immediately after the raid said he saw a number of badly injured people, and pools of blood in the rooms.

[Policeman and protestor]
More than 120 have been arrested
The summit ends at lunchtime on Sunday with the leaders of the world's richest nations due to sign a final communique, the centrepiece of which will be the G8's action plan for Africa.

More than 200 people, including 73 police, were wounded in clashes between on Saturday, and more 120 people have been arrested since Friday, some on charges as serious as attempted murder.

The turmoil has prompted Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, the host of next year's summit, to propose rethinking the next G8 gathering.

Mr Chretien said that changes would be needed before next year's summit.

Click here to see map

"We have to reduce the size of the delegation to have a more informal type of meeting. There are too many people. Some have huge delegations - that is not needed," he said, adding that each country should be limited to 400 delegates and staff.

He is also reportedly considering holding the 2002 summit in a remote Rocky Mountain town that will be more difficult for protesters to reach.

Midnight raid

The police were apparently searching for computer disks and videos of earlier clashes when they raided a school which the Genoa Social Forum was using as a co-ordinating centre.

[Protester in Genoa]
Canada wants to avoid a repeat of these scenes at next year's G8 summit
Windows were broken, furniture smashed and there were pools of blood left on the floors.

"They came in, blocked the door and kept beating us with sticks and kicking us, one after the other," said Michael Gieser, a Belgian journalist who was staying in the school.

Police department spokesman Roberto Sgalla said the police were acting on a tip-off, and that iron bars, knives, blunt objects and black T-shirts had been seized.

[Carlo Giuliani]
The dead protester was named as Italian Carlo Giuliani
He said "about 10" had been hurt in the raid, and that other people hospitalised had been injured earlier in the weekend.

Meanwhile official investigation has been opened into the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Italian protester Carlo Giuliani by a policeman on Friday.

The 20-year Carabinieri conscript, who is now being treated for shock, could face manslaughter charges.

Africa plan

In talks on Saturday, the G8 has agreed to set up a joint working group with African leaders to draw up plans to help the continent.

The proposals will be aimed at promoting democracy, preventing conflict, fighting corruption and encouraging foreign and internal African investment.

[French President Jacques Chirac and US President George W Bush]
Chirac (left) and Bush did not see eye-to-eye on climate change
While there was consensus on the Africa programme, there were sharp disputes over the environment.

US President George W Bush met with two of the strongest critics of his rejection of the Kyoto climate change accord, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

He put a positive spin on the meetings, saying: "We have agreed to reduce greenhouse gases, and we have agreed to continue to dialogue on how."

But EU Commission President Romani Prodi's evaluation was more downbeat. He said the US and EU had repeated their conflicting positions on the climate-change accord.
--------

Summit shooting death investigation begins
WebPosted Sat Jul 21 07:50:47 2001

GENOA - Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the shooting death of a 23-year-old protester at the Group of Eight summit in Genoa, Italy.

Genoa resident Carlo Giuliani was killed by Italian police Friday during an anti-capitalist demonstration.

Judicial sources say while the investigation could lead to manslaughter charges against the paramilitary officer, it will also examine whether it was a legitimate act of self-defence.

Italy's Ministry of the Interior says it was self-defence, as police tried to control demonstrators.

Nearly 100 police and demonstrators were injured during running battles on the streets and lanes of Genoa Friday.

INDEPTH: Genoa G-8 Summit

The protesters had been throwing firebombs and stones at police, who responded with water cannon, clubs and tear gas. In a statement issued late Friday, Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola said the demonstator who was killed "was hit by a bullet, presumably fired in self-defence by one of the injured carbinieri" (a paramilitary policeman).

Thousands of angry anti-globalization activists are in the Italian city as are the leaders of the world's richest nations.

At one point, the crowds came close to breaking through the fence surrounding the high-security "red zone" where the summit is being held.

Inside, the government leaders said they've agreed to set aside a billion dollars to treat AIDS and other infectious diseases in poor countries.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan joined the leaders. He said the money "begins to match the scale of the epidemic" but he said much more was needed.

Annan told the world leaders that fighting disease in poor countries will take as much as $10 billion.

Written by CBC News Online staff
--------

Starhawk from Genoa, Friday (fwd)
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 12:42:49 +0200

 Genova 7/20

 By Starhawk

 At this point its still not clear to me how many are actually dead. Ive
 heard one young man, Ive hear d two, four. Ive heard that the police shot
 into the crowd, that someone was clubbed to the ground and, unconscious, run
 over by a car, Ive heard it was the White Overalls, the Black Bloc, I dont
 know. I know what I saw.

 The day started as a spirited, peaceful demonstration. I was on the Piazza
 Manini with the Womens Action and Rette Lilliput, a religious ecological
 network. Both groups were completey committed to nonviolence. My friend and
 training partner Lisa Fithian was down at the convergence center with the
 pink block, the group that wanted to do creative, fun, street theater,
 dancing and music as part of their action. Lisa is a great person to be with
 in an action: sheàs experienced, never panics, moves fast and knows what to
 llok for, has a voice that can carry over a huge crowd and a great ability
 to move people. I wish she were going to be with us, but I feel like weàve
 divided our talents well. Ill help move the smaller Womens contingent, help
 them with ritual and work some magic. Lisa will help the much larger and
 boisterous Pink Bloc become mobile an dcoherent. We hope to meet up sometime
 during the day.

 Around 1 pm, the women march from the piazza down to the wall with probably
 three or four thousand people. The women gather in a circle for a spiral
 dance, singing "Siamo la luna che move la marea," "We are the moon that
 moves the tides, we will change the world with our ideas." We brew up a
 lovely magical cauldron a big pot full of water from sacred places and
 whatever else women want to add: rose petals, a hair or two, tobacco from a
 cigarette., that symbolize the visions we hold of a different world. Its a
 sweet, symbolic action not quite as satisfying, perhaps, as tearing the wall
 down, but empowering to the women who take part. The police are relaxed,
 these groups are clearly no threat to anyone. Monica negotiates with the
 police, and we are allowed to go up to the wall in small groups to pin up
 underwear(residents of the Red Zone were threatened with fines if they hung
 out their laundry during the G8apparently the site of washing might unnerve
 the delegates), banners, messages and spill our water under the fence.

 (Helicopters buzz the house as I write, the news is discussing violence and
 nonviolence in Italian, and I stretch my memory of high school French to ask
 one of the women staying here in a phrase we never covered, "How many people
 died today?" One, she tells me, and one is in the hospital in critical
 condition.)

 Then the Pink march arrives, trapped in a cross street by our march. We open
 a lane and let them through. They are delightful, mostly young,some all
 punked out in wildly colored hair or dreadlocks or bright pink wigs,
 drumming, dancing, cavorting through the crowd. They turn the corner and
 filter into the next square down the wall, only a short half-block from the
 street weve occupied.

 On our street, everyone is sitting peacefully and having lunch. I walk over
 to the Pink Block to see whatàs going on. I drum for a while with the
 accordion player. People are milling abouttheres nothing clear thatàs
 happening, when suddenly a line of police has blocked on of the exits.
 Dancing youth are wildly leaping and stomping in front of them, but thats
 all they are doing. Much of the Pink Bloc has moved on, they appear a block
 or two above the square, with the police now trapped between groups of Pink.

 I am just thinking that this is not a good situation when a tear gas
 cannister lands in front of me. I start to move away, back down to the
 street where the women are. <just a mild hit, I wash out my eyes, help a few
 others whose eyes are streaming and red. Lisa appears, and we go back for
 another look. This time the gas catches us in a bad situation, with the way
 back to the strteet blocked, and another exit up a staircase too full of
 bodies. I am getting hit heavily, my lungs and eyes burning but I remember
 that helpful hint from all the trainings we have done. I can breathe, I
 really can breathe, and fear is the most powerful weapon. Lisa has better
 eye protection, she takes my hand and leads me out. I wash them out again.
 This seems like a good moment to leave. I gather up whatàs left of the
 women, Lisa and others get the Pink Block together, I begin a drumbeat and
 we start up the street, which is also up a hill. The march feels poerful and
 joyful. We are retreating, but in a strong way, moving on to the next
 action, still together.

 The good feeling lasts until we reach the top of the hill. Somehow the Black
 Bloc have become trapped between the pacifist affinity groups and the
 police. Monica is on the cell phone, upset and tearful when she learns that
 the Black Bloc have trashed an old part of the city. "Its over," she says.
 "after all our months of work! Lets go home."

 I am trying to find out what the women want to do: Lisa is trying to find
 out what the Pink Bloc wants to do, when suddenly massive amounts of tear
 gas fill the square. I am moving away from it, down a side street, trying to
 convince myself that I can breathe, when I notice that Im somehow in the
 midst of the Black Bloc. They run past me, younger, faster, much better
 equipped, and the police are behind them. I do not want to be here. Im fifty
 years old, and I was never very fast even when I was young. For the first
 time, I come close to panicking.

 But below is a side street, and the wind blows the gas away. I can breath. I
 duck down the alley. Like most of the streets in this hillside are, it winds
 around the side of ridge, with a sheer drop below, and snakes back to the
 main street. A small clump of Pink is sheltering there. I join them, we wait
 as the Black Block thunders by one street away. Lisa appears to tell us that
 the riot cops are coming up from below. Theyre beating people brutally. We
 check the exits, fearing weàre trapped, but suddenly the street we came in
 on is clear. I and a few others make a break for it, get across and head up
 a stairway on the other side. Lisa goes back to see if she can help move the
 others. Before she can, the police have found the alley. They beat people
 hard, going for the head. They beat pacifists who approach them with their
 hands up; they beat women. A battered crowd gathers on the stairs, moves up
 a level or two. I comfort a young man with a head wound, a woman who is
 crying, her thigh covered with the blood of her boyfriend who had been taken
 to the hospital. We are all shaken.

 Slowly, a pink contingent gathers on the stairs. We move up and up; in this
 part of town, half the streets are stairways that rise in endless zig zag
 flights. Below us, we see contingents of riot cops sweep the streets. The
 helicopter above move on, following the Black Bloc. Lisa is moving back and
 forth across the street and back to the square, checking out rumors, trying
 to figure out whats going on and where we might go. We eventually make our
 way back to the square. One of the women has been gassed so badly shes been
 vomiting, but she wants to stay. Another women from our contingent was hit
 in the head by a cop and taken to the hospital. A whole lot of people have
 been badly hurt, people who clearly and unmistakeably are not rock throwing,
 streetfighting yout, people who believed they were going to be in a peaceful
 and reasonably safe place. Lisa and I had done a training for the women,
 trying to give them some sense of what they jmight face on the streets from
 our experience in other actions. But theres no real way to prepare for a cop
 beating a peaceful, nonagressive, midde-aged woman on the head.

 The Pink Bloc begins a long journey back to the other side of town. Were
 joined by some of the others from the square and by some of the Italian
 Pacifist Affinity groups who have been trying to hold space on this side. As
 were trying to make our decision, with translation into English, Italian
 Spanish and French, Some of the Black Bloc drifts up from below and asks if
 they can join us to make our common way to the bottom of the town. Some of
 the group are angry at the Bloc and unwilling to take the risk of joining
 with them or being associated with them. Others feel that we should hold
 solidarity with everyone, and not leave anyone vulnerable to the police.
 Eventually, the group offers to accept them if theyàll unmask and leave
 their sticks behind. They wont do that, they say we should each respect each
 others way of doing things, so theyll go down alone, letting us go first.

 Theres more, mostly a series of moments of being trapped in an intersetion
 here or a stairway there, but after around two or three hours we made it
 back to the convergence center. Im far too tired to make sense of this day
 right now, its all I can do to describe it, and its after midnight and
 people have to go to bed. Someone is dead, and the night is not over.
--------

DEADLY G8 RIOT
Protester shot dead as mayhem rules streets of Genoa

  GENOA, Italy (AP-CP) -- One protester was killed and nearly 100 police and demonstrators were injured yesterday in running battles that raged in the cobbled alleyways and broad piazzas of this ancient port city.

 The interior minister said police shot the protester apparently in self-defence.

 In a daylong faceoff between riot police and the violent vanguard of a massive protest march, demonstrators lobbed bricks, bottles and firebombs, while police fired tear gas and powerful water cannons.

 Once again, an international gathering had become a battleground, but one that set a grim new benchmark in what has become a familiar pattern of confrontation. This time, the setting was the Group of Eight summit, which brings together the world's wealthiest industrialized countries and Russia.

 The clashes produced the first fatality in increasingly intense protests staged at similar gatherings over the last two years in nearly a dozen cities under the auspices of the anti-globalization movement.

 Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola said in a statement that the young man who was killed "was hit by a bullet, presumably fired in self-defence by one of the injured carabinieri," a paramilitary policeman.

 SOURCE SAYS VICTIM HAD RECORD

 A police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, identified the victim as Carlo Giuliani, 23, a Roman living in unoccupied buildings in the centre of Genoa. He said Giuliani had a long criminal record that included weapons and drug charges.

 Late yesterday, the summit leaders issued a joint statement expressing regret for the death and condemning the violence.

 Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi blamed the clashes on isolated elements and bemoaned the "risk of distortion" in a gathering he said was meant to help the less fortunate.

 BUSH REGRETS TRAGIC DEATH

 U.S. President George W. Bush called the demonstrator's death "tragic" and injuries to police and demonstrators alike "highly regrettable," said Gary Edson, the U.S. deputy national security adviser.

 French President Jacques Chirac said global institutions needed to listen to the voices of the protesters.

 As well as being a chaotic street battle, the day's fighting was a clash of deeply held values.

 Many protesters were drawn to Genoa to decry what they see as the widening gulf between rich and poor, multinational corporations running rife, the environment carelessly despoiled and workers' rights trampled.

 In Canada, activists were preparing to demonstrate against the death of the Italian protester.

 "We want to tell our government that we will not stand for this kind of treatment of our brothers and sisters abroad," said Stephen Kerr, a member of Toronto Mobilization for Global Justice.

 Kerr is helping organize a demonstration in front of the Italian consulate in Toronto today to protest the G8 summit. A similar protest is also planned in Vancouver, in front of that city's Italian consulate.

 Dave Meslin, a Toronto activist, said he was not surprised by the fatal shooting.

 "It was a matter of time," he said. "I'm not surprised at all, and I wouldn't be surprised if anybody else is killed in the next 24 hours."

 Meslin said it "was a miracle" nobody was killed during the violent protests that shook Quebec City in April at the Summit of the Americas.

 "Tear gas canisters and rubber bullets can be lethal," said Meslin. "We have to show solidarity (with protesters in Genoa) because it could have been me, it could have been one of my friends."

 Police in Quebec City used tear gas, a water cannon and rubber bullets against demonstrators. In contrast, Italian police are not equipped with rubber-coated or plastic bullets for crowd control, but they do use live ammunition, said police spokesman Mario Viola.

 The fighting in Genoa -- which in addition to the protester's death injured several dozen demonstrators, police officers and at least a half dozen journalists -- erupted almost simultaneously throughout the city.

 The protester's death occurred in an area near the railway station where repeated clashes occurred. Eyewitnesses gave conflicting accounts that had him being beaten, run over or shot.

 A sequence of news photos published in the Italian press appeared to show the man, hooded and approaching a jeep of the carabinieri paramilitary police with a fire extinguisher lifted in his arms, and an officer inside pointing a gun in his direction. Subsequent pictures showed him prone on the ground, the body lying beneath the jeep.

 DAYS OF TENSION

 Hours after the death, protesters created a makeshift shrine, heaping red flowering plants they uprooted from a nearby public garden. A piece of notebook paper, weighed down with a tear gas canister, was scrawled with the words, "Made in G8."

 The violence preceded days of tension, with the government deploying 20,000 police, paramilitary police and soldiers and vowing to crack down on any violence. Tens of thousands of protesters had camped out at sites around the city, including a soccer stadium-turned-tent dormitory. Hundreds more arrived in Genoa as the mass marches began.

 Italy refused entry to about 1,000 people before the three-day summit, authorities said. It also closed Christopher Columbus international airport and train stations.

 Police could not provide a firm total of protesters, but put it in the tens of thousands. Protest organizer Francesco Caruso estimated there were 100,000 demonstrators.

---------

Personal account of Genoa - Brian Sharpe
Date:   Fri, 20 Jul 2001
 

July 20th update.... Genova ...what the hell is going on

(this is a personal report, and while some of the info in   here is based on rumours, it is true to the best of my knowledge and should at least give you
an idea of what's happening here. oh yeah...and spell  check on foreign
computers?????)

Would like to say that it is absolute insanity here...but  really its
Getting to be quite common. The anti-capitalist fight has  certainly stepped up a
notch (concerning western activist summit  hopping). Streets are filled with debris and fire. Roving bands of riot cops  from the centre clash with thousands
of activists back and forth all over  the city. There is confirmation now
that one person has died in the fights  (by being hit by police vans charging
crowds at high speed) and another  is waiting to be confirmed. Tear gas is
everywhere, over a hundred thousand  people are taking to the streets all over the city. When one gathering  of several thousand is scattered or one decides to  leave, you can find  10,000 more just a few streets over, gaining space on the  police.
  No  one has made it through the red zone, but that doesn't quite matter.
Its a war against the state and its soldiers down here.  (as i right this i hear
someone beside me confirming photos of a person being shot by the  military
police....reports of 72 wounded)

Quick look at what the day looked like for me....

After the late night of rain and campsite floodings ,  people woke up early
In their various places. Generally groups gathered in the east and headed west
To try to break through the red zone, some going  south, and others heading
straight on or to the north. Early reports came of   the socialist blocks under heavy water cannon fire somewhere within the  tightened south zone. By noon,
large  shipping containers (for boats and  trains) had been moved to
completely block off many streets in the yellow area.

Pink block consisting of determined samba bands and fiesta  moved north to
Join the woman's action and other NGO's. Atmosphere there was largely festive of course and reports have come through the day of  sit-ins with large arrests
And teaming up with the sections of the black block to clash with the cops.

Tutti Bianche and other civil disobedience types marched  from their far of staging area straight down the main road towards Brignole station.  One
section of black block left from our camp who we  traveled with. Perhaps
3000.
We marched east and met with the militant  trade union COBAS and other
Anarcho syndicalist groups.  At the union  downtown bank windows began to be
smashed...it was not long before we could see  tear gas up ahead and other
groups clashing with police.

 >From here on it was back an d forth for me and many others. Advance a
block...mix with protestors from another groups, have  police beat us back,
and then head back or by another  route.  Around noonish  when we first arrived
we were finally pushed back up the eastern hill near Piazza Tomamase and
eventually scattered down side streets. Making  our towards the indymedia we
found dumped garbage bins everywhere and  even a turned car, this area was
soon to be controlled by lots of cops.

Next we headed down to the convergence point at the water.  As we got there,
police were starting to move in. The main entrances  had been barricaded by
remnants of COBAS and the Black Block to  keep the police  from invading.
We got in a side way. As we entered, the majority of demonstrators were leaving and heading along the water. We  stayed on to get some food with other random people and were invaded by  police again. Military style riot cops began
single filing over the  barricades to get in. After they had entered, and the hundred of food workers inside were barricading their restaurants , a police
tank/bulldozer came through and tore down the barricades. The police then did some fancy maneuvers and realizing there weren't many folks there, took off again.

After an hour or so we walked up through Piazza Rosetti and  north to see if
We could find the Tute Bianche. It was a strange  feeling. People wandering
around, some sitting in front of rows of riot  cops with banners. Others
lounging on grass, and just random walkers. We  headed through the district
and past many police lines which just watched us  with little interest and tried
to be intimidating. It seems sometimes  safest to walk in small groups here.

Eventually we ran into several thousand anarchists having a   pitched street battle with the cops. We stayed around for a while. More  dumpsters on
fire, the streets filled with broken glass. During this  battle, a police van
went nuts and stated charging in to break past the  dumpster barricades. At
first people ran but then the van was  surrounded and was being beaten back
by rocks and other projectiles. The  armoured van tried several times but was
eventually beaten far back with  thousands of protestors chasing it and yelling victory cheers.  Just  then another police line down a side street disintegrated and was beaten  away by protestors advancing from another direction.

I left this battle shortly and went to see what was  happening a few streets
over. I walked out and saw maybe another 10,000  people down Via Tolemaic
who had completely taken over. All of them were  padded with makeshift armour and taking turns pushing forward.

One really amazing thing that was happening in these battles was that every time the police charged with tear gas, many people  would start running. But
Those behind, instead of joining, would put  their hand in the air and remind in a
gentle way....tranquillo, calma, stay  calm. And it worked, people would slow
down, realize it was just tear  gas and then return to the fray.....

Well...this is getting long...but basically it  was going on like this for several hours back and forth. Many times though ambulances  were going back and forth carrying wounded.  As we left, police were  pressing forward in teams
of a hundred riot cops, and last i saw from several  streets up a hill was about
25 cops corner a protestor and repeatedly  beat them for 5 minutes before
dragging them away.

Back in the indymedia, we received word that there have  been two deaths now
confirmed. Cause of death suspected by being hit by  charging police vans,
and one person shot as well. While here, a person being  interviewed described
how she was taking photos and then attacked by 7  police who dragged her behind  a white van and beat her while others  destroyed her film and batteries.

As I'm finishing, helicopters are becoming a constant  presence overhead,
And we hear that many protestors may have started heading  back to carlini
stadium.

will write more soon
brian s

================

Protester Dies After Being Shot Outside G8 Summit
Killed in Riots Outside G8 Summit

Protester Dies After Being Shot Outside G8 Summit

By Dylan Martinez
Reuters

GENOA (July 20) - A protester died after being shot in the head on Friday by
an Italian paramilitary trooper while a big power summit was under way in
Genoa, witnesses and authorities said.

A Reuters photographer saw a group of anti-globalization demonstrators attack
a Carabinieri van with stones. A protester was hit by two gunshots from the
van after throwing a fire extinguisher at the vehicle.

The demonstrator fell to the ground and then was run over by a Carabinieri
jeep that backed over him, the photographer said.

The man, dressed in a white tee shirt, blue jeans and a black balaclava, lay
in the street, blood pouring from his head.

A police spokesman in Genoa confirmed that the unidentified man had died but
did not provide any details.

A medic who had been following thousands of protesters rampaging through
Genoa during the day said the demonstrator was shot twice in Piazza Alimonda,
about 1.2 miles from the Renaissance palace where Group of Eight leaders were
meeting.

''He was hit twice, once in the forehead and once on the left cheek,''
Valeria Valerio, a medic with the anti-globalization Genoa Social Forum, told
Reuters.

''He had blood pouring from his mouth.''

The body lay in the square, a white sheet over it and surrounded by police.

DAY OF RIOTING

It was the most violent incident in a day of rioting in the Mediterranean
port hosting the Group of Eight annual summit.

Protesters torched cars and smashed shop windows and riot police fired tear
gas and water cannon during hours of rioting that erupted on the opening day
of the summit.

Police detained 38 anti-globalization demonstrators in running clashes that
broke out as Group of Eight leaders gathered in the Mediterranean city around
mid-day.

At least 45 people suffered injuries in the hit-and-run skirmishes across the
city -- 23 members of security forces and 22 protesters, hospital officials
said.

Earlier, masked protesters threw flares at police, shattered shop windows,
set fire to dozens of garbage dumpsters and overturned cars and trucks,
sending thick smoke billowing over the city for hours.

Police fired tear gas and water cannon in a string of clashes with some of
the tens of thousands of protesters around a high-security ''red zone''
protected by 20,000 security forces.

At one point a group of 200 hard-core protesters besieged a local prison,
shattering the windows and throwing a petrol bomb inside.

Smoke billowed out of a ground-floor window, but demonstrators left the area
after prison guards appeared on the wall above the street.

PROTESTERS PIERCE 'RED ZONE'

Genoa has been bracing for weeks against the kind of violent
anti-globalization protests that have disrupted nearly every major
international meeting for the past two years.

Surface-to-air missiles have been placed at the city's airport to guard
against any possible air attack. Authorities have thrown up 20-foot
barricades around the red zone to stop demonstrators from getting near the
leaders.

Live television showed protesters beating on the barricades with their hands
and water bottles and being hosed by water cannon some 300 yards from the
palace where leaders were lunching.

A handful of protesters broke through the barriers, entering the red zone,
but were quickly detained by police.

Local television showed police hitting and kicking a detained protester.

Residents of one apartment block, fearing their building could catch fire,
dumped buckets of water on a flaming dumpster.

Local television showed a series of shattered store fronts and a smashed cash
machine outside a bank.

The marchers, united in opposition to the G8, represented a range of causes.
Some carried banners saying ''People, Not Profit.''

In one square, anarchists fought protesters from one of the numerous peaceful
groups that had descended on Genoa.

About three miles east of the city center, some 2,000 anarchists tried to
enter the headquarters of the Genoa Social Forum (GSF), an umbrella group for
more than 700 anti-G8 organizations, a GSF leader said.

''We are here but there are no police and we are shut up inside,'' GSF member
Carlo Schenone told Reuters.

Reut13:26 07-20-01
--------

Death shocks local activists

By SARAH GREEN -- Toronto Sun

  In sharp contrast to the violence an ocean away, a group of about 100 demonstrators lit candles and placed flowers outside the Italian consulate on Beverley St. last night to mark the death of a young protester at the G8 summit in Italy.

 "I've felt for a long time it was just a matter of time before someone was killed," said rally organizer Dave Meslin, 26, who was a protester at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City last April. "Rubber bullets, tear gas and plastic bullets can be lethal."

 Meslin said police must be trained to handle protesters peacefully, not always with force. "They see protesters as troublemakers, people who are out to have a riot. They're not trained to de-escalate," he said.

 "I was really shocked," said Ameera Dennis, 20. "It could have been me. It could have been one of my friends."
--------

Protester shot dead by police during G-8 riots
Dozens of police and activists injured during street fighting
The body of a demonstrator, local resident Carlo Giuliani, lies in the street after he was shot dead by police today.
RELATED LINKS

GENOA, Italy (AP) - One protester was killed and nearly 100 police and demonstrators injured in running battles that raged in the cobbled alleyways and broad piazzas of this ancient port city today.

The interior minister said police shot the protester apparently in self-defence.

In a day-long faceoff between riot police and the violent vanguard of a massive protest march, demonstrators lobbed bricks, bottles and firebombs, while police fired tear gas and powerful blasts from water cannons.

Once again, an international gathering had become a battleground, but one that set a grim new benchmark in what has become a familiar pattern of confrontation. This time, the setting was the Group of Eight summit, which brings together the world's wealthiest industrialized countries and Russia.

The clashes produced the first fatality in increasingly intense protests staged at similar gatherings over the last two years in nearly a dozen cities under the auspices of the anti-globalization movement.

Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola said in a statement that the young man who was killed "was hit by a bullet, presumably fired in self-defence by one of the injured carbinieri,'' a paramilitary policeman.

ANSA, the Italian national news agency, identified the victim as Carlo Giuliani, a Rome native living in Genoa.

Late Friday, the summit leaders issued a joint statement expressing regret for the death and condemning the violence. They urged peaceful protesters to isolate lawbreakers by example.

They also spoke out individually.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi blamed the clashes on isolated elements and bemoaned the "risk of distortion'' in a gathering he said was meant to help the less fortunate.

U.S. President George W. Bush called the demonstrator's death "tragic'' and injuries to police and demonstrators alike "highly regrettable,'' said Gary Edson, the U.S. deputy national security adviser.

French President Jacques Chirac said global institutions needed to listen to the voices of the protesters.

As well as being a chaotic street battle, the day's fighting was a clash of deeply held values.

"They are just selfish,'' protester Saeed Mohammad said of the rich countries whose leaders met in an ornate medieval palace just blocks away from where he stood. Clouds of choking tear gas wafted his way after another charge by club-wielding police kept demonstrators at bay.

At 35, Mohammad represents his own brand of globalization - a worldwide diaspora of those seeking economic betterment, a journey that took him from his native Pakistan to the Netherlands, where he now lives and works.

Like him, many protesters were drawn to Genoa to decry what they see as the widening gulf between rich and poor, multinational corporations running rife, the environment carelessly despoiled and workers' rights trampled.
-------------------

Protester dies in Genoa, Chretien presses on with next G-8 summit in Canada

BRUCE CHEADLE
Canadian Press
An anti-globalization movement activist lies dead on the ground after clashes with police during G8 summit protests, in Genoa, Italy, Friday. (AP/Luca Bruno)
 

GENOA, Italy (CP) - The death of a protester rocked the Genoa meeting of world leaders on Friday and Prime Minister Jean Chretien said efforts must be made to refocus attention on the substance of future G-8 summits.

The opening of the 37th summit of the Group of Eight industrialized countries was marred by violent clashes between protesters and police in the streets of this Italian port city. Nearly 100 protesters and police were injured.

Street battles have erupted at such meetings since a global conference in Seattle in 1999, but the confrontation turned deadly in Genoa when a young man was killed along the summit's raucous perimeter.

The body lay in a pool of blood, covered by a white sheet. Italy's interior minister said police shot the protester apparently in self-defence. Later, the summit leaders issued a joint statement expressing regret for the death and condemning the violence.
 

Canada, which will assume the G-8 presidency and host the summit next year, has held off announcing the venue due to security and logistics concerns.

"I don't know when I will announce the location," Chretien told reporters shortly before news of the protester's death spread.

Other G-8 leaders have urged Chretien to find a means of defusing the protests, perhaps by a more open and inclusive summit.

"I've had a few discussions with some of the leaders who have expressed their frustration with the lack of attention to the substance of the summit, and what can be done to go back to the real occasion - which is very important for communication and understanding and creation of growth," he said.

The G-8 includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and Russia.

Leaders of the first seven countries - excluding Russia, which is joining them on the weekend - met Friday to discuss the global economy.

They issue a statement saying that "while the global economy has slowed more than expected over the past year, sound economic policies and fundamentals provide a solid foundation for stronger growth."

It noted concern over "high and volatile oil prices" and stressed the launch of a new round of world trade talks this November in Qatar.

Chretien said: "Everybody thinks there is a turnaround and we are not going into a recession and we'll go back within months to a better growth situation." But the summit was overshadowed by the protests, organized by a rainbow of organizations loosely connected under the anti-globalization banner.

Chretien defended the right to peaceful protest but questioned the violent tactics.

"We are the elected leaders of democracies," he said.

"We organize meetings to talk with some of these (non-governmental) leaders. But they cannot replace the governments ... democratically elected. That is a reality in life."

Chretien said the G-8 is made up of industrialized countries. He questioned the idea of expanding the club to "a G-50 or a G-189."

"You could have a meeting of 180 people who would make 180 speeches," he said. "What is important is the dialogue."

Chretien held bilateral meetings earlier Friday with French President Jacques Chirac and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Koizumi discussed Canada's economic turnaround of the 1990s, said Chretien. French officials said Chirac focused on the Kyoto protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Chirac led a lobbying effort against the climate-change policies of U.S. President George W. Bush, who has defied most of the industrialized world by withdrawing support from the 1997 Kyoto accord. Chirac and Bush were seen engaged in animated conversation during a dinner that also included leaders from five poor countries.

"It is our duty to act vigorously and collectively to combat the principal threat to the future of the planet," Chirac told Chretien, according to officials in the French delegation.

One official said Chirac told Chretien "there is no alternative to the Kyoto protocols and the commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder also discussed the troubled Kyoto accord. A German spokesman, Bela Anda, told reporters that "this summit is being dominated by Kyoto."

Friday also saw the announcement of a fund in excess of $1.5 billion Cdn for a global health fund to fight AIDS. Canada has already announced it would contribute $150 million.

The street battles in Genoa took place far from the G-8 leaders. The closest demonstration was about eight city blocks from the renovated 13th century palace where Chretien and other leaders met.

Police in riot gear used water cannons to beat back protesters who ripped open a small section of the heavy perimeter barricade.

The crowd of several hundred protesters responded to the water cannons with a shower of debris, including glass bottles and hand-held mirrors that flew like Frisbees and shattered upon impact.

The crowd was in a sanctioned demonstration area, and the mirrors had first been used as a symbolic means of forcing the massive police presence to look at itself.
=================

BBC - Summit leaders condemn 'anarchy'

Prosecutors are investigating Friday's fatal shooting
The leaders of the world's richest nations have expressed their determination to press ahead with their summit in Genoa, despite widespread violence during anti-globalisation protests in the Italian port city.

Genoa issues
Impact of US slowdown on world economy
Relaunching global trade talks
Launching $1bn global health fund to tackle Aids and other diseases
Easing poverty in developing countries
Efforts to combat global warming
But as the second day of the meeting got under way, tens of thousands of demonstrators were again out on the streets, and there were reports of police firing teargas.

An official investigation has meanwhile been opened into the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old Italian protester by a policeman during Friday's clashes.

Judicial sources said the proceedings could lead to manslaughter charges against the officer.

In a joint statement issued on the second day of the Group of Eight (G8) summit, the leaders condemned "violence overflowing into anarchy" by a small minority of the thousands of demonstrators in Genoa.

They said they respected people's right to protest peacefully, but added: "It is vitally important that democratically elected leaders legitimately representing millions of people can meet to discuss areas of common concern."

Click here to see a map of Friday's protests

The statement continued: "For our part, we will continue to focus on the issues that matter most to our people and to the wider world, such as the economy, jobs, trade and help for the poorest parts of the world, devoting special attention to Africa.

"For all these reasons, our commitment and work goes on."

[Flowers at spot where protester died]
The spot where the man died soon became a shrine
The authorities in Genoa are preparing for another massive protest on Saturday afternoon.

However, some campaign groups have decided to pull out of the protest - designed to highlight the debt burden on poorer nations - amid fears that it will be hijacked by anarchist groups.

Organisations such as Oxfam, Christian Aid and the Catholic Development Agency are among those that have decided to hold alternative protests

Dozens arrested

As well as the death of the young man, Friday saw about 60 people injured during running battles between demonstrators and police in the streets of the city.

Some protesters hurled cobblestones and petrol bombs at police, who responded with teargas, water cannon and baton charges. Dozens of people were arrested.

Windows and bank cash machines were smashed, while there was also some looting of shops.

Clouds of teargas and smoke from burning cars and rubbish bins engulfed areas of the city.

However, the majority of demonstators in the city engaged in peaceful protests over what they see as the adverse effects of globalisation and debt on poorer countries.

Global environment

At the summit itself, a discussion on the global environment on Saturday is expected to highlight the sharp divide between US President George W Bush and the other leaders.

[Russian President Vladimir Putin]
Vladimir Putin will raise missile defence at a meeting on Sunday with Mr Bush
Washington's rejection of the Kyoto treaty on global warming earlier this year has caused anger in many European capitals.

Mr Bush's plans for a missile defence system are also under discussion. These proposals have also come in for criticism, with Russian President Vladimir Putin warning that it could trigger a new arms race.

The G8 leaders will also discuss the situation in the Middle East. Their foreign ministers have already backed the idea of international monitors to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The precarious state of political talks in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia will also be debated.

On Friday, the presidents and prime ministers called for a new round of free trade talks, to ensure sustained global economic growth.

The G8 also pledged an initial $1.2bn to a United Nations-sponsored plan to combat Aids and other diseases in developing countries.
---------

ABC - On Edge - Leaders of World's Richest Nations Try to Get Their Message Out Despite Protests
[ABCNEWS.com]

G E N O A , Italy, July 21 — The threat of a second day of violence hangs over the Group of Eight summit here, after a protester was killed Friday during massive demonstrations staged by the anti-globalization movement.

From the medieval palace where the leaders of eight of the world's most industrialized nations are working this morning, Genoa appears sunny and calm. Luxury cruise liners in the harbor provide a scenic view, and overnight accommodations for most of the leaders.

But beyond the concrete barriers and the steel fencing ringing the security "red zone," Genoa's streets are braced for a second day of noisy marches, and possible vandalism by a small group of anarchists bent on making their message heard.

Today, tens of thousands of protesters, some wearing motorcycle helmets and carrying sticks, began marching toward Genoa's center from Italy's Mediterranean coast. Thousands of others gathered elsewhere in the city.

The protestors, who appeared calmer than they were on Friday, said they are fighting against globalization and the widening gap between the rich and poor.

Death on Friday

In a day of violence Friday, a protester was shot to death by an Italian paramilitary policeman. More than 100 people and police were injured as protestors threw stones and firebombs and smashed windows until police were finally able to clear the area.

The city of Genoa had 20,000 police and military security personnel on hand to <http://abcnews.go.com/images/video_icon.gif>  deal with demonstrators.

Police identified the dead victim as Carlo Giuliani, 23, an Italian living in unoccupied buildings. The 20-year-old policeman suspected of shooting him was hospitalized for shock and under investigation by prosecutors, police said, according to the Associated Press.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, attending the summit, blamed the violence on a small faction.

"We as leaders, would prefer to be in a very ordinary setting, being able to meet people, being able to talk to people," Blair said. "We're being prevented from doing that by what a small group of violent demonstrators. There are people protesting perfectly peacefully and that's their democratic right. But there are some of them that are prepared to use violence."

Trying to Convey Message

An umbrella group that organized the protests called upon the leaders to suspend their meeting in the wake of Friday's violence.

"This G-8 is covered in blood," said a notice posted on the Web site of the Genoa Social Forum, according to the Associated Press. "The G-8 must be stopped immediately. The police must return to their headquarters."

The death of the 23-year old in the streets brought regret to the summit partners, who see the violence dominating what was to be an unusual message from the summit this year. Poor countries had been invited as special guests, and the partners pledged $1 billion to fight AIDS and disease, actions all but lost in the swirl of teargas and street fires outside the gates.

President Bush says this morning that aid to impoverished nations is a challenge and a priority — a message that should be welcomed by the demonstrators in the streets. But, in fact, many protesters disagree on methods. They repudiate the idea that more trade and development is the answer, although President Bush calls trade a proven path out of poverty.

Bush says in his weekly radio address the U.S. has a responsibility as a wealthy nation to help countries that remain impoverished. Friday night, he and the summit partners dined with leaders from Africa, Asia and Latin America representing nations that need relief from heavy debt and ravaging disease.

ABCNEWS' Ann Compton in Genoa contributed to this report.
==============

IMC NEWS BLAST | Tuesday, July 24, 2001
GENOA G8: What happened?
 

A compilation of breaking stories, photos, video, and sound from the
Independent Media Center network, http://www.indymedia.org. (Links to
various sources of IMC coverage of Genoa G8 are at end of this blast.)

by Indymedia News Blast Team
 

CONTENTS
-----------------
A. SUMMARY OF EVENTS
B. ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS
C. BACKGROUND AND COMMENTARIES
D. PHOTOS AND VIDEO
E. AUDIO
F. PRINT
G. THE GENOA SOCIAL FORUM (GSF)
H. SELECTED ALTERNATIVE PRESS LINKS
I.  CONTINUING IMC COVERAGE
 

A. SUMMARY OF EVENTS

Over 200,000 people converged on Genoa, Italy this past weekend to express
dissent against the closed meetings of the Group of 8 and the policies they
espouse and to discuss alternatives to the current undemocratic nature of
global social and economic planning.  The 'G8' - leaders of the world's
most economically powerful countries - meet yearly to discuss general
international policy directions.

Solidarity demonstrations against the G8 summit and the police violence
that has characterized it, have been organized worldwide in Amsterdam,
Athens, Barcelona, Bologna, Boston, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Finland,
Greece, Helsinki, Istanbul, London, Los Angeles, Madison, WI, Manchester,
Melbourne, Miami, Milan, Montreal, Naperville, IL, New York, Oslo, Paris,
Peru, Philadelphia, Portland, Rome, Salzburg, São Paulo, San
Francisco/Berkeley, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, Turkey, Urbana, IL,
Vancouver, Vienna, and Washington DC and in many other cities in Austria,
Canada, Germany, Italy, UK, USA, and elsewhere. A call for further
solidarity protests is here:
http://www.geocities.com/protest666/protest.htm and listing of some of the
protests here: http://www.geocities.com/protest666/planned_actions.htm

Please see IMC NEWS BLAST on Genoa from Saturday, July 21, for earlier,
additional coverage focusing on events from July 19 and 20, Thursday and
Friday last week:  http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=4526.

Another IMC NEWS BLAST will be prepared later this week to summarize news
on emerging stories, including details of the Sunday morning raid, jail
situation, and solidarity protests.
 

B. ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS

Violence against protesters in Genoa continued to escalate on Sunday, July
22.  Numerous personal accounts of demonstrators being gassed, chased
through the streets and beaten by police, despite participating only in
non-violent marches, fill the newswires.  Seemingly no one was immune;
reports came of beatings of women and men, young and old alike. An IMC
newswire story Monday noted that a confirmed 500 protesters remained missing.

Reports are coming in of very bad treatment of protesters in jails. Sunday,
in the early morning hours, police carried out a vicious raid against the
GSF offices (Genoa Social Forum, www.genoa-g8.org), the Italy IMC and the
protest legal offices, with extremely brutal actions directed at sleeping
protesters in the GSF.  Reports have come in of over 70 injuries in this
assault alone and of as many as 26 of these people taken to the hospital
after being severely beaten. Amnesty International is investigating human
rights violations.

1. FROM JUNE IN GENOA (English)
by June Terpstra
Eyewitness accounts from Italian-American June C. Terpstra. This series of
stories from streets of Genoa are full of color, front line reporting,
critical insight, and revolutionary passion.
7/24: Visions of Liberation and Love: Real Revolutionaries:
         http://chicago.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=3708
7/23: http://chicago.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=3662
7/21: http://chicago.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=3567
7/20, late: http://chicago.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=3563
7/20: http://chicago.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=3554
7/19: http://chicago.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=3514
7/18: http://chicago.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=3500

2. REPORT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE JAILS AND POLICE STATIONS IN GENOVA
(English)
http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=54924
by Pet Kuna 2:06am Tue Jul 24 '01
 From article: "On monday, july 23rd, a group of media activists were
allowed to visit some of the Imprisoned in the jails and prisons in Genova.
Report from the jail "Vercelli": The media activists could speak to three
women, five minutes each. The women declared that they all have been
beaten, when they were arrested and/or in jail/at the police station. The
wounds at their heads and in the faces emphazised the reports. The
situation of the men seems to be much more serious. The three women told
that they could hear the men beeing tortured and "punished" throughout the
whole night."

3. RESPONSE TO POLICE RAID ON GENOA SOCIAL FORUM AND IMC ITALIA OFFICES
(English)
by by IMC Ad Hoc Genoa Solidarity Committee
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=7092
This offers a summary of the brutal raid of GSF offices and the destruction
confiscation of property at the IMC press offices. Mission and nature of
IMC are discussed. History of state attempts to suppress IMC and some of
IMC successes are summarized.

4. GSF PRESS CONFERENCE, GSF, 22 JULY 2001 (English)
by IMC reporter 11:03pm Sun Jul 22 '01
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=6282
http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=54549
Notes from press conference by the Genoa Social Forum, Sunday, July 22,
2001. The conference was broadcast live by RadioGap and simultaneously
translated by several people from Italian to English in an irc chat room.

5. HORRIFIC RAID ON GSF AND IMC GENOA: REPORT (English)
by IMC reporter on scene 6:29am Sun Jul 22 '01
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5539
 From this article about the GSF building raid, "Later after more arrests
in the street the police and fleet of ambulances departed, ... [we gained]
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 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." (Followed by forty
comments after the article.)
Brian offers this report of raid on Monday:
http://italia.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=6869

6. GENOA. MANY EYEWITNESS REPORTS FOR POLICE RAID OF IMC ITALIA  GSF
by Independent Media SF. July 21 2001, Sat, 8:39pm
http://sf.indymedia.org/display.php?id=102064
This article offers list of eyewitness reports of July 22, 2001 police raid
(around midnight) on Italy Indymedia Center and also other Genoa Social
Forum buildings nearby and across the street in Genoa, Italy.

7. STARHAWK'S REPORTS (English)
by Starhawk
second report. http://vancouver.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=2587
first report. http://vancouver.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=2576
Starhawk is a noted author and organizer who was in IMC offices near the
time of the raid.

8. FATHER OF DEAD PROTESTER 'SORRY' FOR POLICEMAN (English)
by by Matthew Campbell and John Follain, London 1:40pm Sun Jul 22 '01
http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=54540
This article shares the reaction of parent's of Carlo Giuliani to death of
their son, reactions of protesters, and summarizes some of events of Saturday.

9. REPORT FROM BLACK ACTION 7/20 (English)
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=4636
by alien8 2:19pm Sat Jul 21 '01
During the past two days, the expression "Black Block" has been linked to
mindless destruction, splits in the movement, and even "agents
provocateurs". This is a report of a Black Block demo early on Friday, July
20th, which was part of the numerous attempts to breach the red zone.
(Followed by 29 comments after story.)

10. G8 MEDIA WATCH
http://www.indymedia.org/feature.php3?category=NEWS&feature_id=G8-MediaWatch
Seeing what the corporate media covers...
 

C. BACKGROUND AND COMMENTARIES

Some writers in the movement see Genoa as a crossroads for the alternative
globalization movement, facing fragmentation from internal differences or
increasing influence in challenging global forces of domination. Although
most reports from the corporate media focus on the violence, some have
begun to consider the movement's positions and question the legitimacy of
the extensive, repressive police build-ups in response to popular protest.

1. DON'T LET THEM REVERSE OUR MOMENTUM
Posted by Aggie, Written by Michael Albert
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=6967
"We must attract and sustain ever wider and more lasting support. Our
demonstrations must include so many people, with so many backgrounds, from
so many parts of society and so many societies, that the effect of elites
utilizing wild and intimidating repression will not be to diminish our size
and capacity, but to enlarge both. We must make Bush and Berlusconi's
favored tactics benefit us, not them. That is the road to victory."

2. FROM SEATTLE TO GENOA AND BEYOND
by Lauren Langman 9:16pm Mon Jul 23 '01
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=7023
Lauren Langman shares insights from his study of the growing alternative
globalization movement. He is a Professor of Sociology at Loyola University
Chicago. He is also chair of the Marxist Section of the American
Sociological Association, co-moderator of the Progressive Sociology
Network, past organizer of several Radical Scholar's Conferences, author of
a number of papers on the alternative globalization movement, and currently
co-editing a book on same.

3. THE ROAD FROM GENOA: WHERE TO NOW? (English)
by workers power global 7:41pm Sun Jul 22 '01
http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=54617
They write, "Genoa represents a crossroads for the movement. It can become
- as the radical movements of the late 1960s did - a detonator for mass
working class resistance. Or it can suffer the fate of the US Black
Panthers, who were systematically hunted down and imprisoned in order to
strangle a potential mass revolutionary movement."

4. DECLARATION OF WAR IN GENOA
by Josef 3:03pm Sun Jul 22 '01 (Modified on 8:51pm Sun Jul 22 '01)
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5897
Josef starts, "G 8 has declared war on us the people. If it was still
necessary to clarify, after similar facts in Seattle and Montreal [sic,
Quebec City], now there is no doubt: The G 8 leaders have declared war on
the people in the streets..."

5. ANARCHIST/BLACK BLOC MOTIVATION EXPLAINED
by James Anon 11:54am Sun Jul 22 '01 (Modified on 7:01pm Sun Jul 22 '01)
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5726
By explaining the motivation behind using these street fighting tactics,
especially from the Black Bloc perspective, this article hopes to sooth
some of that anger and suggests some ways we as a movement can move forward
concerning the disagreement over forceful or non-violent direct action.
(Over ten comments follow article.)

6. GOTHENBURG TACTICS USED IN GENOA (English)
by Tord Björk 6:35am Sun Jul 22 '01
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5543
New methods of repression against Summit protesters used at the EU-US
Summit in Gothenburg 14-16.6. They include shooting at activists, container
walls and storming of schools, etc.

7. COMMUNIQUE FROM NYC-YA BASTA! & NYC-DAN IN GENOA
by NYC-Ya Basta! & NYC-DAN 10:30am Mon Jul 23 '01
http://la.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=8871
Concerning the attack on the Independent Media Center and Fascist/police
coordination during the G8 Summit.

8. BABELE A GENOVA / BABEL IN GENOA (Italian, English translation in comments)
by Eleanor Chiari 3:21pm Sun Jul 22 '01
http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=54559
Commentary on TV media and other coverage of G8 in Genova.

9. WHAT THE PROTESTERS IN GENOA WANT (English)
by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, 6:42pm Fri Jul 20 '01
http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=53964
By best selling authors of recently released _Empire_, a call for global
democracy. They write: "We see seeds of that future already in the sea of
faces that stretches from the streets of Seattle to those of Genoa. One of
the most remarkable characteristics of these movements is their diversity:
trade unionists together with ecologists together with priests and
communists. We are beginning to see emerge a multitude that is not defined
by any single identity, but can discover commonality in its multiplicity."
 

D. PHOTOS AND VIDEO

On Friday, July 20, Carlo Giuliani, a 23-year-old activist, was shot and
killed by police and then run over by a police vehicle. Outrage over
Carlo's death and the reported injuries to over 500 people from police
wielding batons and ramming by police vehicles has generated severe
criticism of the Italian government and G8. While Government officials
point the finger at protesters linked to the black block, whose tactics
include property destruction of selected targets, such as bank windows,
numerous accounts of police in disguise committing the most violent acts
continue to come into the newswire and have even filtered into the
corporate news. Photo, video, and audio reporting from the protests tell a
different story from that in most of the mainstream press.

1. GSF AND IMC RAID
by IMC
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5448
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5464
http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5486
Photos of the raid.

2. SEQUENCE OF PHOTOS OF THE SHOOTING OF CARLO GIULIANI, WITH NARRATION
by R. Alford 12:52am Mon Jul 23 '01
Summary article: http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=6359
Powerpoint file: http://italy.indymedia.org/local/webcast/uploads/giuliani_sequence.ppt
A sequence of the photographs from multiple sources in a Microsoft
Powerpoint presentation with narrated observations about the images. Alford
suggests that the photos support the position that the shooting clearly
does not qualifiy as justifiable homicide under the Italian legal codes.
Size: 0.5MB.
Note: See alternative press section below, link 5., for website with photo
gallery of the shooting of Carlo.

3. STOP G8! MORE PICS FROM GENOVA
by csoa molino 12:50pm Mon Jul 23 '01
http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=54773
Link to site with 16 webpages of photos from Genoa: www.ecn.org/agp/index1.html

4. SEVERAL CLIPS (Italian)
by kanalB
http://www.indymedia.org/video/italy.ram
Short recordings of a speech/talk and an interview segment.

5 POLICE BRUTALITY AGAINST YA BASTA! MEMBER
http://clients.loudeye.com/imc/italy/polizia_brutality_on_ya_basta.ram
Runs 49 sec.

6. Collections of Genoa photos and videos:
http://belgium.indymedia.org/
http://www.jellhead.com/~genoa/
http://www.yellowtimes.com/genoa/
 

E. AUDIO

1. BLICERIO - THE DAY AFTER (English, mp3)
by Wankstor X. Muzzlebutt 4:42pm Sun Jul 22 '01
Audio file: http://www.freeteam.nl/blicero.mp3
Summary: http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5987
Blicero, a coordinator with IMC Italia, reflects on what Indymedia must do
to continue to resist increasingly repressive regimes around the world. He
also provides a first-hand reaction to last night's police violence at the
IMC and the school across the street. Runs 5:24 min.

2. RADIOGAP DURING THE STORMING (Italian)
http://dyne.org/sgombero-radiogap.mp3
Runs 4:42 min.

3. BBC REPORT OF IMC/GSF RAID BY EYEWITNESS (English)
Realaudio file:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1450000/audio/_1450876_raid_hayton0200.ram
Link at article: http://sf.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=102117
Sympathetic report by Bill Hayton of the BBC, who was in the IMC-Italy
building as it was raided, and saw the aftermath of the GSF beatings. (mp3
audio)

4. REPORT ON THE RAID, G8 MEETING, AND ALTERNATIVE GLOBALIZATION MOVEMENT
(English)
http://buffalo.indymedia.org/local/webcast/uploads/metafiles/patrickbeckettj22.mp3
Account of raid by Patrick Beckett, and American reporter with Free Speech
Radio News who was in the IMC-Genoa as it was raided on Sunday morning. He
shares some general thoughts on the movement, state response, and G8
meeting. Runs 16:51 min.

For more information, see: http://radio.indymedia.org/ and www.radiogap.net
 

F. PRINT

See Indymedia print summaries (in distributable newsletter/flier format)
The following issues are available at: http://print.indymedia.org

special edition: 22 July 2001
· Violent raids on journalists, sleeping protestors in Genoa
· G8 leaders fail to solve climate negotiations

special edition: 20 July 2001
· Italian police shooting to kill
· 100,000 take to streets to protest G8 summit in Genoa, Italy

Flier promoting Indymedia coverage:
http://struggle.ws/pdf/genoa_poster.html
 

G. THE GENOA SOCIAL FORUM (GSF)

In addition to the marches and rallys, the GSF hosted a week-long counter
summit that brought together organizations and groups from around the world
who are seeking alternatives to the current destructive policies pursued by
Western governments.  They hold that "The international importance of this
summit represents a challenge to [work] with different methods and
priorities - principles of social justice, solidarity, and just and
sustainable development."

Like other recently created forums, the GSF was inspired by the World
Social Forum (http://www.worldsocialforum.org/) which was held earlier this
year in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Similar people's forums have occurred at all
major global justice/alternative globalization mobilizations since Seattle.

Topics last week included discussions on fighting global poverty and
inequality, globalization and work, and mechanisms for global democracy.
The GSF website (http://www.genoa-g8.org) offers important articles,
logistic advices, legal information and news updates. (Main website is in
Italian with links to pages in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German)

Program of Demonstrations for July 19-21
http://www.italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=3154
This post includes 1. Complete program of the demonstrations on 20th July;
2. Proposal of the development of the Manifestations of Public Square of
the GSF in Genoa, 19-20-21 July 2001; 3. Complete program of Genoa Social Forum
 

H. SELECTED ALTERNATIVE PRESS LINKS

1: PROTEST.NET
http://www.protest.net/
Lists upcoming protests including:
World Bank / IMF - 9-28 to 10-4, "The IMF and World Bank are principle
agents of corporate globalization. Their large fall meeting in Washington
DC will be met with a convergence September 28th - October 4th."

2. THE BATTLE OF GENOA (English)
by Walden Bello, Friday July 20, 2001
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=special&s=bello20010721
Walden Bello attended the GSF educational activities early last week in
Genoa and the later protests. This is his account. He is professor of
sociology and public administration at the University of the Philippines
and executive director of Focus on the Global South, a research and
advocacy institute based at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

3. IT'S A WAR (English)
by Geov Parrish, July 21, 2001
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=11596
With brutal killing of protester, depths of division are clarified. Parrish
writes, "Genoa is reminiscent of nothing so much as Kent State, where,
after hundreds of thousands (at least) of deaths in Southeast Asia, it took
the deaths of four young students on a Midwest campus to galvanize
opposition..."

4. INTERVIEW OF A SYNDICALIST WITH IG METAL (English)
http://clients.loudeye.com/imc/belgium/igmetal.ram
About general experience and reasons for G8 protest by German worker. Runs
3:12 min.

5. PHOTO GALLERY OF THE MURDER OF CARLO GUILIANI (English)
by Storm Bear Williams 8:19pm Sat Jul 21 '01 storm@nauseamanifesto.com
http://www.nauseamanifesto.com/genoa/index.html
A 21 image photo gallery, with commentary, of the murder of Carlo Giuliani
during the G8 Summit in Genoa, Italy.

6. INFOSHOP NEWS AND PHOTOWIRE (English)
http://infoshop.org/news6/genoa.html
This infoshop page has over a dozen Genoa demonstration photo thumbnails
with descriptions, linking to full photos. This page also has links to
articles on solidarity demonstrations from around the world and a variety
of articles on the Genoa protests.

7. PEACEFUL PROTEST IN GENOA, 21-07-2001
http://ghanima.org/resist/genoa21072001.htm
Pictures captured from the Journal de 20h on France2, on 21/7/2001. Various
crowd shots.
 

I. CONTINUING IMC and MEDIA COVERAGE

Stay tuned to IMC Italia, http://italia.indymedia.org, and global IMC,
http://www.indymedia.org, for up-to-the-minute news on the G8 protests.

IMC radio: http://radio.indymedia.org/
Indymedia print summaries (in distributable newsletter/flier format):
http://print.indymedia.org

Other IMCs that have provided detailed coverage include (see left columns
at IMC websites for links): France, UK, Belgium, Barcelona, Switzerland,
Germany, Austria, Sweden, Brasil, Argentina, Chicago, New York City, and
San Francisco.

Please see IMC NEWS BLAST on Genoa from Saturday, July 21, for earlier,
mostly different additional
coverage:  http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=4526.

This IMC NEWS BLAST has been submitted to the IMC Translation list.
Translations will be created and posted to the IMC network.

Another IMC NEWS BLAST will be prepared later this week to summarize news
on emerging stories, including details of the Sunday morning raid, jail
situation, and solidarity protests.

The opinions expressed in the media referenced in this IMC NEWS BLAST do
not necessarily represent the opinions of the IMC network.

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INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER
The IMC is a decentralized network of independent media makers, organizers,
and activists working to increase democracy and social justice by reporting
events and producing information as acts of autonomy, resistance, and
liberation from corporate control.

The IMC was established to cover the WTO protests in Seattle in November
1999. Hundreds of media activists have since setup over fifty independent
media centers in London, Canada, Mexico City, Prague, Belgium, France, and
Italy, with more to come.

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