Carlo Giuliani commemoration. second anniversary of Genoa

by Ciaron Sat Jul 19, 2003 11:09

Yeah, dunno why folks are so uptight about concepts of "martyrs" and "canonisation".
Stanley once said of our movement "The Catholic Worker is a movement made up of saints and martyrs. The marytyrs are the ones who have to live withthe saints."

But that "martyr" has become a term of derision only reflects on the privatised, consumerled, death culture that sets the terms of reference. Where the rubber meets the road in Third World struggle, the people understand the concept of martyrdom, remembering not forgetting and struggling on. It's good to remember,it's good to gather.

Yep my friend Zelda, 6 years a nurse in Nicaragua in the '80's just returned form working with indigenoeus folks on the Amazon...in between took a brick in the head (anarcho-friendly fire) during June 18. She always has a good attitude to these things suggesting that the next Earth First brick throwing workshop (yes they do have'em!) could be swapped to a brick dodging one!

Carlo's mum signed the recent Nuremburg Statement demanding our charges be dropped. Good to remember him and his mum and every other casualty our movement has sustained.

Shortly after his death I went down to the Italian Embassy in London with 3 friends who had been immediately detained at Genoa airport and deported (the only thing they had in common was their prvious arrest record at Faslane, the most discipline nonviolent campaign in British history...so their was a definite "weeding out the fluffies" strategy being implemented.) Later that day one of the deported was being dropped at the busstation for his return to Scotland..a chopper overhead, masked armed cops detained under the PTA.
Carlos Presente!!

by hi Fri Jul 18, 2003 22:36

a good reply to kin mob. I also had my doubts. of course it's horrific that a young fellow gets shot my the police, but i thought maybe the young cop freaked out, thinking his life was in danger, in which case one could argue self defence, as a person is a person regardless of uniform, i am someone who prefers to see the human angle, i was at several riots and was aliented by anrchists throwing rocks and burning cars and traumatised by baton charages and in the middle both sides looked the same and the hate in the eyes and the people crying was too much and i personally felt no hate for the cops because some of them were bleeding as well and actually some were ok and I was allowed cross a line by a group of them, who saw I couldn't cope with what was happening and just wanted out. anyway the boy who got shot was a kid doing something silly in the heat of the moment, we all have done such things to a greater or lesser extent, the state did kill him, it was murder, yes, but the boy who pulled a trigger is probabyl a zombie by now, ciao

by Chekov Fri Jul 18, 2003 15:34

Nor claiming he was an angel.

Firstly the facts of the actual shooting are in dispute. Carlo was about 10 metres from the van when he was shot (the standard photos, taken with a zoom lense from behind, collapses the depth of the scene). A distance from which he could not have hit the jeep with the fire extinguisher. At the time that he shot Carlo, the police officer was in no danger for his life as the crowd had already run away and a fire extinguisher is not a lethal weapon at 30 feet. There was also a line of hundreds of riot cops about 30 metres away, behind the jeep. Then there is the fact that he shot Carlo twice in the head, after carefully taking aim.

Even if you dispute all of the above, you are still left with the fact that the state consciously and deliberately sent thousands of armed thugs out onto the streets to attack the protestors. In such a situation, the death of people is a very likely outcome and indeed it is amazing that more people did not die. Therefore we can say that it was a pre-meditated murder on the part of the state, rather than on the part of the individual cop.

The point of this commemoration, rather than to canonise Carlo, is to make the point that it could have been anyone. When the state resorts to this level of terror and violence, it is really quite random who gets killed and who doesn't. I don't care what Carlo did or didn't do, I do know that it could have been me or anyone else who was there. Remembering Carlo is also a way of protesting against state violence and trying to make sure that they don't get away with it again.

by King Mob Fri Jul 18, 2003 15:16

Murder implies premediated act killing in cold blood. Carlo was part of a group of rioters who attacked a police van and was shot by a scared conscript in self defense (Photographs show the victim about to throw a fire extinguisher at the van).

It suits people here to protray Carlo as an innocent victim of state repression, that Carlo wasn't doing anything wrong. Carlo died in the middle of a violent confrontation with Police violence on both sides.

Turning him into a "marytr" is just sickening.

by Q Thu Jul 17, 2003 23:55

Q

http://www.wumingfoundation.com/italiano/downloads.shtml

by blisset (slight return) Thu Jul 17, 2003 21:42

Nice to have yiz back. We were lonely around here. Still at the SEHB.

Btw the 'real' Luther Blisset is giving away his internationally superfamous novel 'Q' for free at the wuming foundation website.

by Observor Thu Jul 17, 2003 18:50

they were being supplied with rotten strawberries by casual traders.

by Dax Thu Jul 17, 2003 18:47

I heard that 'bout the filth as well, they'll be dying for trouble. I also heard there thinkin about givinh the ignorant savages tear gas. anyone know????

by Mr. Kevin Thu Jul 17, 2003 18:30

Whoever he is. Anyway, see you Saturday.

by Annoyed Thu Jul 17, 2003 18:26

If it is, you have some nerve after the attacks the SP made on the Black Bloc. Not to mention your incredible article on Evian in the June issue of the Voice, praising the restraint of the State.

If you are another Kev, then welcome Comrade.

by Mr. Kevin Thu Jul 17, 2003 18:25

The Star ran a report last week about the Gardai being trained for the upcoming WEF love-in in October. The same force that murdered Carlo were training the Staters in use of long-arm batons, barricade smashing etc. Be prepared for the arseholes itching for it

by Anarchist Thu Jul 17, 2003 18:08

The black cat will bite back!!

by ec Thu Jul 17, 2003 17:10

. Due to Erron Hosting European Presidency

by Guido Thu Jul 17, 2003 16:55 pannekoekrobert at hotmail dot com

"President Bush will host Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, on July 20-21, 2003. Italy is among the United States' closest allies in NATO, and has been a strong supporter in the global war on terrorism and in bringing peace and democracy to Iraq. The President values Prime Minister Berlusconi's leadership. They will discuss a range of issues, including stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, peace and security in the Middle East region, continuing the fight against terrorism, and strengthening transatlantic relations."


No comment

www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/07/20030714.html

by kev Thu Jul 17, 2003 16:42

power shouldn't be allowed to take life with impunity

by (A) Thu Jul 17, 2003 06:28

Long live carlo! Long live the riots/resistance in Genoa!Lets show these capitalist bastards what is what on the WEF summit in Dublin! Genoa and Quebec shows the way!

...but in the end,we will win!

by FOC Thu Jul 17, 2003 04:25

.