A NATIONAL campaign has been launched to protest against attempts to crush the anti-capitalist movement in Italy. Around 80 people demonstrated outside the Italian Embassy in London on Thursday of last week.
They were protesting about the arrest of 42 key activists involved with the European Social Forum that was held in Florence last month. Chris Nineham, from Globalise Resistance, told the protesters, ‘There is a huge political crisis in Italy today. Some 70 percent of the population say they support the European Social Forum. The Fiat car factory in Sicily is now being occupied. The social movement and the workers’ movement are coming together – in response the government has launched a full frontal assault on the movement.’
He explained how the Italian government led by Silvio Berlusconi was using laws from the fascist era to lock up militants. There have been huge protest demonstrations in towns and cities across Italy. A branch of the rail-workers’ RMT union has decided to support the campaign in Britain. Olmo, a student from Genoa, was one of a sizeable contingent of Italian students at the protest.
He told Socialist Worker, ‘Before he got elected, Berlusconi used his newspapers and TV stations to con people into voting for him. Now many people are beginning to wake up to what he is about – cutting welfare and education. We cannot wait until the next election to stop him. That’s why we went to Genoa and Florence.’
WERE YOU on the London anti-war demonstration on 31 October 2002? Did you witness any incidents?
If you did, however minor or trivial you may have regarded it as, you could have important information. Please contract John Tipple at Linn and Associates solicitors on 01255 240 880.
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