G8 2001 - Genoa

from guardian.co.uk, 14 November 2008: There was uproar in a Genoa court last night after some of Italy's highest-ranking police officers, accused of masterminding a savage attack on peaceful protesters at the G8 meeting in the city seven years ago, were cleared of the charges against them. The area reserved for the public erupted into chants of "shame, shame" as the presiding judge finished reading his verdict. The mother of one of the victims clambered on to a crash barrier and screamed: "We'll have our revenge". more

Press release, July 15th 2008: After nine hours the "Bolzaneto trial" against 45 members of police, jail staff and doctors ended yesterday evening in Genoa. The accused persons were under investigation for the misuse of authority, constraint, abuse, intimidation, and falsification of evidence. 300 demonstrators were arrested during the protests against the G8, most of whom were brought to police barracks that were being used as temporary jails. more

from imc-uk, 13 March 2008: In a trial that has seen 209 victims, 392 witnesses and 23 defendants, The Bolzaneto G8 ‘Torture’ trial is finishing in a heated controversial ending. Monday saw prosecutors Patrizia Petruzziello and Vittorio Ranieri rise to their feet again and delivered the final damning indictment against the Italian legal system and the 45 Carabineri, GOM Penitentiary police defendants who have been on trial since late 2005 in a judgment that ran into 1000 pages. more

from email, 7 March 2008: Source - SupportoLegale. So we are finally almost there: one of the four court cases around the events of July 2001 in Genoa has seen its first grade sentence, while other three are drawing to a close within the summer. The court case against 25 people has seen people convicted to something like 110 years of jail, ranging from mere 6 months to 11 years per person. more

from imc-uk, 3 March 2008: The Bolzaneto trial has entered its final phase process for the violence into the infamous G8 Police barracks and detention centre. "At least four of the five interrogation techniques that, according to the European Court on Human Rights called upon to rule on the suppression of the riots in Ireland in the seventies, constitute inhuman and degrading treatment". more

from email, 21 November 2007: "It was a super massive demo (at least 50,000 people) with the genoa generation -- that of tute bianche, indymedia, black and pink blocs -- opening in front and assalti frontali blasting the right kind of politically rhymed speech from the first truck. It was 20,000 youth that spearheaded the demo, almost silent in their boiling anger, with, because of the choice made by supporto legale and global project organizing the demo, no symbols and no flags, save a handful of nodal molin, pirate, anarcho/red, guevarist, zapatista symbols..." more

bb | 07.11.2007: "We want to strongly launch the demo for the 17th November in Genoa, and all the other events that aim to the reappropriation of our historical memory and of the meaning of those days in Genoa, six years ago but still alive for what they represented..." more

from email, globalproject.info, 2 November 2007: Genoa , Italy - On October 23rd 2007, after three and a half years, the trial against 25 activists from the anti G8 protests of 2001 in Genoa is approaching the first degree of its final phase. more

Updated 15 December 2007: Six years after the anti-G8 riots in Genova in July 2001, an Italian court has handed down sentences of between 6 months and 11 years for 24 of the 25 "no globals" accused of "destruction and looting" for the riots. more

ROME: Premier Romano Prodi came under widespread criticism Thursday for announcing the departure of Italy's police chief just hours before it emerged he was being investigated in connection with alleged police misconduct during the 2001 G-8 summit. more

Translation Massi, edited and posted by Oscar Beard: The translation is a bit rough, due to time constraints. Genoa Diaz trial suspended over one of its most controversial sides. Well-known police officers are on trial for false evidence and slander.  more

6 August 2001: A human body but not a human being. my first contact with death. 'After the first death, there is no other..." I forget where i read that, but i hope to hell i never see another like that. Perhaps this is unrealistic, as i believe that neither I nor the rest of the 100,000 people who gathered in Genoa, to fight a myriad-faceted cause (which I saw Carlo Giuliani die for) are dissuaded for a moment.  more

This afternoon, a 10-strong (or weak) affinity group from the wombles did an action at Bennetton, Oxford Circus. We chose Bennetton as a symbol of Italian capitalism, and because international capitalism is the puppet master of the G8 leaders. more

24 July 2001: We assume that at every meeting there are at least one journalist and one Special Branch officer. Therefore we are shocked but not surprised about the 'infiltration'. Here is some more info on how the Wombles organise.  more