SCN: from Starhawk: "Please do Something" (fwd)

[Sharma]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2001 11:59:07 -0700
From: "getmelissa at uswest.net" <getmelissa at uswest.net>
To: "'Christine Clarridge, Seattle Times Staff Reporter'"
     <cclarridge at seattletimes.com>,
    joelconnelly <joelconnelly at seattle-pi.com>,
    Lori Matsukawa <lmatsukawa at king5.com>
Subject: from Starhawk: "Please do Something"

Please go to your local Italian embassy now!!!!!!!  If you can't go
there please at least call the Italian Embassy.

-melissa

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [GP2001] Genoa 7/21
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2001 14:20:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: humanbeing at webtv.net

Letters home from an excersize in political dialogue: 

Genoa 7/21

By Starhawk 

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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