arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Its early morning, on 15 novembre: 42 people are charged for subversive
association (art.270 bis c.p. Italy), and plot. The accuse is political plot
and disturbance of the government, subversive propaganda against the economic
stability, damages during Napoli Global Forum and G8 summit on Genova 2001.
The provision has been made in Napoli, Cosenza, Taranto, Regio Calabria, Vibo
Valenzia. 11 men were brought to Trani security jail, 2 women to Latina
jail. 6 people are detained at home.
People were not permitted to contact a legal as soon as they were detained.
It's a hard attack to the free expression of dissident thinking, to the effort of the
creation, in the southern part of Italy, of a political web for the help of
basic needs as house, water, wealth right. Jail seems the only answer to the
protest for unemployement, poverty, degradation.
Eventually, main stream media are publishing the names of people involved,
showing a tight correlation between government and media system.

Just having returned from the very successful European Social Forum and the demonstration of 500 000 - 1000 000 peaceful marches against the American war mongering in Iraq and the injustice of the pro-corporate globalisation policies of the G8 nations I am appalled by this reaction by the Italian police and Belisconi government...

This act will not stifle this new hope which is spreading through Europe and the world; that we, the people, will not only voice our opinion but will continue to act against the oppression of the Neo-liberal State run Imperialistic system. Nothing that the police state and fascist governments do can stop the wheel of time. And their time has come. It is time for change and we are winning!

Yesterday 15/11/02, at dawn, police arrested 42 activists in southern Italy on the charge of "subversive association" and "political conspiracy to disturb government activity through subversive propaganda against the economic order". This is possible under article 270 bis part of Italy's new anti terrorist law which has come into force since September 11. Of the 42 arrested 11 men and two women have been placed in solitary confinement in maximum security prisons without being allowed to consult their lawyers. They have also been accused of connections to last years G8 protest in Genova and the Napoli Global Forum. Among the arrested is Francesco Caruso, spokesman for the NO GLOBAL movement of Naples.

This is a direct assault on the freedom of political dissent. Imprisonment is the State's only answer to the cry of resistance against unemployment, exclusion, poverty and social ostracism. It is an attack against the attempt to build a political network based on the real needs of people in the southern part of Italy. The movement becomes consciousness and begins to work on the problems of unemployment, immigration, the right to housing, water and healthcare it becomes the focus of accusations by the state.

I know personally 4 of the prisoners. To my knowledge none of these people has ever been involved in acts of violence or criminal attacks. They have been accused of "thought crimes". They are imprisoned for their deep political and social convictions. Their crime has been to denounce social injustice and the power of the Mafia in southern Italy.

The raid has been supported by the "ethical obligation" of the mainstream media who have published the names and personal details of the accused. This kind of operation points the finger at all people who dissent. They are tightening the noose around the neck of the unemployed, of the students, of the workers and of the immigrants.

It is no coincidence that this has taken place after the peacful Global Forum in Florence. If these arrests had occured before the Florence demonstrations it is likely that Italy would have seen a demonstration more violent than the G8 summit in Genova last year. In solidarity with the prisoners the father of the young demonstrator shot by police at the G8 and other prominent figures have denounced themselves to police as "co-conspiritors". These arrests are a clear example of the vagueness of the new anti-terrorist laws which makes them applicable to anyone who disagrees with the current social and political status quo. Similar anti-terrorist laws have been passed around the world in the wake of September 11. It is only a matter of time before similar arrests are made in other "democratic" countries. IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOU ARE PART OF A SUBVERSIVE "TERRORIST" NETWORK!!

FREE THE PRISONERS NOW!!

what exactly did they mean by subversive propoganda against economic stability? i'd like to know more. sounds cool. too bad "propoganda" isn't protected by some kind of free speech law.

keep on keepin on, one day we shall all be free....

The arrests of the political activists in South of Italy are really grave. It's urgent to give an
strong and united response. Isole nella Rete is proposing a netstrike. Over the skin of the activists from the South is the future of all the political activism.

The investigation about the small netstrike against the Ministery of the Law Affairs Italian was just an small proof of how the country is being governated. Police forces and judges have been preparing to greet the pacifist answer in the ESF of Firenze with a plumbeous answer against the presumed bad people from the movement choosed between those who have tried to defend themselves in the network but as well in the street, from a neoliberal politic which is a real danger for all the world.

While the cars of DIGOS (secret italian police) take tens of activists to the superprision cells or make them stay arrested at home is necessary to keep calm but as well to asume again a colective political way. The Social Forum of Firenze has been a success for the movement in terms of comparing and presenting colective political proposal. The Social Forum has represented for the Government a pain in the back, at least in terms of public order, but now they need to have an enemy to give them reasons to have a good reason to defend the actual Government. They do it through the criminalization of selected parts of the movement looking the fragmentation of the unity (this history remembers too well to the one from the 70's). In this scenario it's necessary to answer back with strenght and in a unitary fashion to one repressive action which intends to beat those who are more active in the net and in the street in the communication of contents of disension or trying to defend themselves from a repression who has produced many hurted people and even deaths in the last years of political fight. We invite a all the forces of the active movements of Genova and Firenze (without exclusions) to movilize in favour of the liberation of the arrested activists against all forms of political censureship, the movement's criminalization and all the prisions. In our area we propose a netstrike against the web of the Ministero de Grazia e Giustizia italiano [http://www.giustizia.it] for next Monday, November the 18th from 10'00 Italian time on. That's London 9:00am, New york 4:00am, San Fransisco 1:00am, Sydney 8:00pm.

Protest marches against this abuse of the freedom to dissent are being organised in Italy and accross Europe. However, the response must be global if we are to prevent global abuse of anti-terror laws such as 270 bis in Italy and the Patriot act in the USA. ORGANIZE NOW.

FREE THE PRISONERS!!

Protests are being organised in Italy and accross Europe against this use of anti terror legislation against activists. However a Global response in needed to prevent Global abuse of anti terror legislation such as art.270 bis in Italy and the Patriot Act in the USA.

ORGANIZE NOW!!

FREE THE PRISONERS!!

wow. this is scary. didn't the police shoot a kid in the head at the last G8 in Italy? this country needs help quick! the left is divided because of lack of conformity, the central ideological paradox that seems to arise in every instance of 'democracy'.

change is the only safe political condition, utopia as a static ideal situation is a flawed concept, when things are working toward stasis, you are opposing time which we cannot stop, see the truth in my mania...

I've been so wrapped up in the de-freeing of the United States, I had no idea things were getting this bad in Italy. That is why this movement should hold no boundaries, no country lines. Europeans have already begun to stand up and support progressive Americans in saying NO WAR. I wonder if it'll be possible for Americans to pull themselves away from the tv and start realizing this isn't just about America. The choke of global facist imperialism is spreading like a disease....

in case of u.s. protesting against iraq war leads just to changing of ruling persons (republicans-democrats),not to the change of things generally.sentence stating-bush is "bad"-with the use of political logic transforms into-kerry is "good"-for people voting for change.thats not the answer.fighting with imperialism-globalism is only possible by creation of real second force...