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2007-10-29

G8 Genoa: state prosecution demands 225 years of jail sentences

[Media G8way | Gipfelsoli Infogroup]

Press Release

Monday, 29th October 2007

  • Those charged face compensation claims for Genoa’s “image loss”
  • Solidarity demonstrations in Genoa and Rostock

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

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

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

Bild: Genua

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

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

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

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

Background Information (multi-language):

Contact:

  • Segretaria Legale Genua +39 10 8602573
  • Gipfelsoli Infogruppe

Press fotos (Creative Commons-Licence):

Source: www.gipfelsoli.org/MediaG8way