Police violence in Vicenza

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Police violence in Vicenza

Hi all,

Thanks to Rose for sending around the video of the police violence in
Vicenza yesterday. See (Note)

See below a report on what happened. Not written very
well, but wanted to get this to you as soon as I could, since most of the
press is painting this in an entirely different light.

Yesterday, Saturday, September 6, as part of the 10-day No Dal Molin
Festival protesting the new U.S. military base in Vicenza, we planned to
construct an observation tower near the site of the new base. This had been
regularly communicated to the police, who gave no indications that there
were any problems.

We arrived at approximately 11:30am and found the police lined up 200
meters from where we had planned to build the tower, which had been
communicated to the police, in an area that didn´t border the base. After
some negotiations, we were allowed to proceed.

We set up and construction of the tower began, with mixing of cement,
cutting and mounting scaffolding material. The police were about 10-15
meters away. Everything was done out in the open and communicated over
the megaphone.

Seeing us under the hot sun, a woman from the house in front of where we
were working kindly refilled our water bottles from the fountain in her
garden. This water was coming from the most important ground water
sources in northeast Italy, which lies directly below the site of the new base
and has been great cause for concern.

Some of the guys took a ladder over to the fence of the base and managed
to tie one of the scarecrows we were carrying so that it could keep an eye
on what was happening inside.

The atmosphere was jovial.

Around 1pm, the assistant police chief, who had been brought into Vicenza
recently by the new police chief, arrived saying the tower had to come
down. Police, Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza officers put on their
helmets and gloves, held up their shields and billy clubs, and started
moving toward us. Just 5 minutes prior, an official with Digos, another law
enforcement agency, had assured us that the tower would stay up for the
entire 10-day festival.

At that point we all sat down in the street around the tower, arms locked
together, hands up. It was repeatedly announced on the megaphone that
we had permission to be there until 4pm, that everything we had planned to
do had been communicated to the police.

The police line came up to within a few centimeters of us. I was in the
second row of people. Some negotiations took place. But the police would
not back down. A request was made for them to simply step back a few
meters while the negotiations took place, but they refused.

The police were then given orders to move in. They started dragging away
some who were in the front row. Kicking and stepping on people. They
managed to drag away 6 people. If you watched the video, you see a
woman get up and run toward the police only to be thrown back on the
people sitting. This is because her husband was one of those dragged
away and was being beaten on his back. She got up again and was
dragged away at that point. She is now wearing a neck brace.

Not visible in the video is another woman being dragged away by her hair,
with a billy club under her chin. She is also now wearing a neck brace, as is
another man.

The 6 people were taken to the hospital and then to the police station.

Things settled down for approximately one hour, though the police, in full
riot gear, some carrying hexagonal shaped billy clubs, remained at our feet.
I was now in the front row.

Calls went out to everyone from the movement, including those working at
the campsite, to get there immediately.

We had the police in front of us, a fence for the house on our left, and the
police started forming a line also to our right. Shortly after carabinieri arrived
to the back of us. We were being boxed in.

Once again the police were given orders to move in. I was hit in the mouth,
got kicked and stepped on by police boots, and was dragged along the
street, together with three others with whom I had locked arms. My glasses
were stripped from my face and I never found them.

In the video, you can also see one of the police officers take the cars keys
from someone´s pockets, place them in his own pocket and then throw
them back at the crowd.

Once behind the police line, they simply left us so they could get back to
the other protesters. At that point, the woman who had been giving us
water opened her gate and let us enter.

The other behinds us faired worse than us, being beating and kicked, from
the front and behind.

In the end we all managed to get inside the garden. The woman told the
police that we were her guests and they could not come in. The cold water
from the fountain was used to clean wounds and alleviate pain. A woman in
a wheelchair was also hit, and had a huge bruise on her arm. A young guy
from Trieste, who had been hit in the head with a billy club, fainted. There
was a good deal of crying and hugging, as no one expected such a violent
reaction from the police against peaceful, non-violent protesters, seated
with their hands raised.

The police, instead, as you can see from the video, attempted to strike
people through the hedge surrounding the garden. Outside the gates, they
bragged about having hit or kicked this person or that.

After some negotiations, we were allowed to leave the garden. The first
ones out the gate formed a line 3 people deep, facing the police, to make
sure nothing else happened. At this point all trust had broken down.

We got out and walked backwards in order to keep an eye on the police.

Back to the campsite, a press release was put together immediately, also
calling for a press conference at 6:30pm. Within hours, photos and video of
the events were on the No Dal Molin web site.

Most of us who had been injured went to the hospital (also because 3 police
officers had already been claiming injuries from us!) though some chose not
to go as this meant some risk of arrest. Others went to the police station to
demand the release of the 6 who had been taken away earlier.

At 6:30 the press conference began, though little or no press felt this
newsworthy. Video was shown and one by one the people recounted what
had taken place.

It was after 8pm before the other were released.

There has definitely been a change in the approach by the police here, who
in the past preferred to try to manage the situation and avoid conflict.
Yesterday, it seemed that was exactly what they wanted. This is in part due
to the policies of the new police chief who was brought in last December,
who in turn brought in some of his own men, and in part due to the fact that
construction will be starting any day. In fact, trucks from CMC, the company
contracted to build the base, as well as US trucks have been entering and
exiting the base.

This change in approach has been duly noted and the people here, though
shaken by the violent reaction, are as determined as ever.

Stephanie

(Note)

Resistere resistere resistere

Finisce con 5 fermi e una trentina di feriti la manifestazione pacifica organizzata e dichiarata per oggi.

Una manifestazione pubblica, dichiarata e stampata sui giornali. Alla luce del sole, dichiarati gli intenti e quello che si sarebbe andato a fare. Costruire una torretta per monitorare la situazione dei lavori all'interno dell'aeroporto. Su luogo privato per cui avevamo il beneplacito del proprietario, e la richiesta di autorizzazione per occupazione suolo pubblico.

Video 1

video 2

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