by Corporate media spin.
Thursday, Jul. 26, 2001 at 11:44 AM
Outrageousness of July 22, 2001 brutal police raid of Genoa Social Forum, NONVIOLENT main umbrella of G8 countersummit. Dozens injured, hospitalized, and still detained. World outrage. The outrageousness of the July 22, 2001 combined raid of Genoa Social Forum, Italy Indymedia, and Radio Gap is sinking in. Dozens of brutal injuries. Unprovoked beatings of people to unconsciousness. Pools of blood everywhere. Witnesses galore. Mainstream politicians and press as witnesses.
error Genoa (for those living in a cave) is the site of the G8 (Group of 8) meeting, and mass protests of one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand people from thousands of groups. A broad spectrum of groups seeking economic, environmental, and social justice. Genoa Social Forum (GSF) is the umbrella organization that was the main organizer of the peaceful G8 rallies, marches, and educational events. To coincide with the G8 summit meeting July 20-22, 2001.
GSF did NOT approve violent, offensive direct action, and here are their web pages below to prove it. GSF specifically stated they were for NONVIOLENT ACTION. GSF could not possibly control all the participants in G8 protests, but they did the best they could to promote nonviolence.
GSF could not search all the people that came and went frequently from their open forums, rallies, sleeping areas, organizing areas, etc.. GSF DID try to get the more militant groups to agree not to do any violent direct action at GSF events. See the GSF webpages linked farther below.
The front page of Italy Indymedia says 50 people were taken away, nearly all to the hospital first. Other reports say around 90 people were arrested at the combined July 22, 2001 (just after midnight), raids of the Genoa Social Forum buildings which housed the GSF media center (press office, Italy Indymedia, Radio Gap, ManifestoCarta, ...) and into the building opposite to it where most of the vicious unprovoked police beatings occurred.
From the front page of Italy Indymedia: "The storming of the police into the building that hosted the GSF media center (press office, Indymedia, Radio Gap, ManifestoCarta, ...) and into the building opposite to it destroys the constitution of the Italian state. Beside the Government choice to repress in an anti-constitutional way the GSF, the police was surely not looking only for photos and videos showing the very brutal events of the last few days. They were especially looking for an escape goat for all of this. They held numerous files, including the data-banks of the volounteer lawyers that were assisting legally some demonstrators. But what is worse is the the incredible violence with which the police went against the 50 guys who were sleeping in the gymnasium opposite to the media center. The signs are clear: BLOOD EVERYWHERE, BROKEN GLASS, DOORS AND WINDOWS DESTROYED... The signs of a one-way violence! And now the police has taken away about 50 people (nearly all were first transfered to the hospital) accusing them of belonging to the 'Black Bloc'." http://italy.indymedia.org/
AP press misinformation on WEAPONS found at Italy Indymedia and Genoa Social Forum police raid. Associated Press psy-ops. Also look up Operation Mockingbird in search engines. http://sf.indymedia.org/display.php?id=102160
Horrific raid on GSF and IMC Genoa : Report. "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." http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5539 http://sf.indymedia.org/display.php?id=102069
The police raided a GSF place where people were sleeping, and brutally beat dozens of people, some to unconsciousnes and coma, and THEN found some so-called weapons, mostly building construction materials, from the GSF building. Part of the GSF building was under repair. The police did not bother to first raid known black block and anarchist sleeping sites that were not affiliated with GSF. Probably because they were afraid of getting their asses kicked. So the police went after the nonviolent sites. What cowards these police are in Italy.
Genoa Social Forum. From F.A.Q. for all people who will go to Genoa. "Do not carry any object that can be considered an offensive weapon." A small folding knife for cutting crusty European bread, European cheese, meats, etc. is NOT an offensive weapon. Otherwise millions of tourists who visit Europe and Italy each year would go to jail. http://www.genoa-g8.org/faq-eng.htm
Manifestations, Demonstrations, and events. See the comments section in English farther down the page. "Every action ought to be pacific and nonviolent actions." http://www.genoa-g8.org/manif-eng.htm
Genoa Social Forum. PUBLIC FORUM "ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE." July 16-22, 2001 calendar of events, forums, roundtables, speakers. Before and during G8 summit in Genoa. Proof of the broad spectrum of groups involved. http://www.genoa-g8.org/gpf-eng.htm
Genoa Social Forum promotes NONVIOLENCE. "Weapons" found at brutal police raid July 22, 2001. Building materials at GSF site under repair. GSF is the main umbrella organization that organized the PEACEFUL marches and educational events during the G8 summit. Police lies are exposed concerning weapons. Broad spectrum of over 1000 groups that GSF coordinated is shown. Webpage links compiled here to illustrate these facts. http://sf.indymedia.org/display.php?id=102217
imc raid ...personal reflections. "It turns out that she was a member of parliment and had been on the first floor when the cops came in. On her floor, the first room was completely trashed, monitors smashed, hard disks were ripped out of all the computers, and papers were scattered. But as they reached her room next and found her everything changed. They were led out to the hall calmly and given water to drink. Finally, everything cleared as the cops left the building. We were really lucky. Our friends in the old school next door were not." http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=6869
Detailed press coverage of Italy Indymedia, Genoa Social Forum raid brutality. A pair of excellent UK Guardian articles detailing July 22, 2001 Italy Indymedia and Genoa Social Forum raid, brutality, injuries, torture, arrest numbers, world outrage, names, political responses, etc.. http://sf.indymedia.org/display.php?id=102152
Latest on 2 British activists in Genoa denied consulate access. Urgent! "The two Britons are Richard Moth, aged 31, and Nicola Docherty, aged 28. They were present last night at the headquarters of the Genoa Social Forum, the umbrella group which has co-ordinated groups in Genoa committed to peaceful protest. The police raided the Genoa Social Forum building last night. ... Richard and Nicola were both beaten by police. They were then taken to hospital, and from there into police custody. ... We understand that 6 British people are being held." http://uk.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=7546
Police raid sleeping, protesters injure dozens (photo). by Devin Asch 3:38am Sun Jul 22 '01. "Blood stains in the gsf building (across the street from IMC)where protesters were severly beaten. More than twenty were badly injured and taken from the building on streachers. The number of arrests in has not been released." This is the probable first source for the bloody photo that many Indymedia sites are using. http://italy.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=5448
Reporters Sans Frontieres denounce violence against the press. Text is in french. RSF - Lettre de protestation - 24 juillet 2001 - Italie. "ITALIE - Sommet du G8 à Gênes. Au moins seize journalistes sérieusement blessés." And in English: "ITALY. G8 Summit in Genoa. At least 16 journalists seriously injured." It is not clear to me (or my French is not good enough) how many of the 16 journalists were injured at the brutal IMC-GSF raid which is also mentioned in the article. Photos are in the rsf.org link. http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=55171 http://www.rsf.org/html/europe/cplp01/lp01/240701.html
Flashpoints Radio July 23: Interview with IMC reporter witness to Midnight Massacre. Belgian IMC reporter Hans Swarte. In English. Good audio clip of interview. Some text excerpts, too. http://sf.indymedia.org/display.php?id=102228
german green MP Hans-Christian Ströbele in Genoa. "The member of the german parliament, Hans-Christian Ströbele of Alliance 90/The Greens will travel to Genoa on wednesday, July 25th. He wants to gain information about the treatment and state of health of the arrested german demonstrators in Genoa. According to several press reports arrested demonstrators had been beaten and tortured in the prisons by italian police forces. ... On friday, July 27th MP Hans-Christian Ströbele will hold a press conference in Berlin and report on the situation of the prisoners. The press conference will take place on friday, July 27th, 10.30 am Bundespresseamt Berlin, room 5/6." [I believe I read that there were Germans among those beaten and detained at the brutal IMC-GSF police raid]. http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=55076
Blicero - The Day After. "In English - Runs 5:24. ... This is an mp3 audio file with Blicero, a coordinator with the Genoa IMC, from an appearance he made on the IMC radio webfeed at approx. 1330 7/22/01. ... The second half is a compelling first-hand summary of the police violence that took place last night at the IMC and school across the street. Recorded off a microradio air signal rebroadcasting the IMC Radio webfeed." http://freeteam.nl/blicero.mp3 http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=55076
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All the above are just a few of the many links at:
Latest reports of July 22, 2001 Italy Indymedia and Genoa Social Forum raid, brutality, injuries, torture, arrests, detention, aftermath, outrage. LINKS. http://sf.indymedia.org/display.php?id=102089