source: BBCItaly police face G8 raid trial
The G8 summit in Genoa was overshadowed by street violence
Italian police accused of violence during a raid against protesters at the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001 must stand trial, a judge has ruled. Several senior officers are among 28 police charged with lying, slander and complicity to seriously harm protesters at the Diaz school in the city.
It was being used by anti-globalisation protesters as a base at the time. The summit was marred by violence. One protester was killed and hundreds of police and demonstrators were injured. Protesters based at the Diaz school alleged that they had been attacked and beaten in their sleep during the raid. Police chiefs claimed they had acted on a tip-off that activists planning violent protests were hiding in the school.
Almost 100 people were arrested in the raid on the school and taken to a barracks, where it has been alleged that they were beaten and abused by police. On Monday, Judge Daniela Faraggi confirmed that 28 police face trial in connection with the raid, which was a key flashpoint during a violent weekend. One officer under investigation will not face charges.
Accusations
The trial will start on 6 April next year, the judge said. Around 100,000 anti-globalisation activists converged on Genoa in 2001 to protest at the time of the G8 summit of leading industrialised nations.
Protesters claimed they were targeted by heavily-handed police
Reports on the clashes between police and protesters focused attention on the behaviour of Italy's carabinieri police force as local media published pictures showing blood smeared on the walls of the Diaz school in the wake of the raid.
The head of Italy's anti-terrorism unit, the country's second highest-ranking police officer, and the Genoa police chief were all disciplined amid inquiries into police behaviour during the protests. The trial of 26 protesters charged with vandalism, robbery and illegal possession of explosives at the summit opened in June.
Italy Police Face G8 Trial
- Thread starter Rick van Opbergen
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Me too ... although that also accounts for the damages done by (some of) the anti-globalists. Although I mostly agree with their ideas (although not always that radical), I have no respect for the minority who thinks the best way to spread their message is fighting with the police and destroying property.
RE: Italy Police Face G8
That minority will always be there though, Rick. They are of the same mindset that riots after a major sports victory.
To the protest movement's credit, they have done a lot to curb violence. In Ottawa and Halifax when Bush was here the protest leaders went out of their way to avoid trouble. The massive anti-war protests just before Iraq were mostly peaceful. That's a pretty major accomplishment given the loose organisation and large number of groups that show up for these things.
The police (and not just in Italy) have a very real tendency to over-react though. If you look at Quebec City or Miami, the violence was very much instigated by police. In Seattle, when things got big, the police reacted violently after those who had done the damage were gone. It was mostly the peaceful protestors who took the beatings. At APEC in Vancouver the RCMP were pepper spraying people for not moving fast enough.
That minority will always be there though, Rick. They are of the same mindset that riots after a major sports victory.
To the protest movement's credit, they have done a lot to curb violence. In Ottawa and Halifax when Bush was here the protest leaders went out of their way to avoid trouble. The massive anti-war protests just before Iraq were mostly peaceful. That's a pretty major accomplishment given the loose organisation and large number of groups that show up for these things.
The police (and not just in Italy) have a very real tendency to over-react though. If you look at Quebec City or Miami, the violence was very much instigated by police. In Seattle, when things got big, the police reacted violently after those who had done the damage were gone. It was mostly the peaceful protestors who took the beatings. At APEC in Vancouver the RCMP were pepper spraying people for not moving fast enough.
I know it's a minority - that's also what I said. I think that there's a great pressure on the police during protests from their bosses to show no mercy, to just start beating in order to "ensure" there will not be total mayhem breaking out. And I think that when that happens, the normal, peaceful protesters are indeed the ones who have to "pay" for it.
I think that there's a great pressure on the police during protests from their bosses to show no mercy, to just start beating in order to "ensure" there will not be total mayhem breaking out. And I think that when that happens, the normal, peaceful protesters are indeed the ones who have to "pay" for it.
The police are not under great pressure to show no mercy or to beat people. They are under pressure to ensure the peace is kept and they do in fact allow a great deal of crap they normally wouldn't put up with as they know they are front and centre.
It's sad you actually think that way.
As you say, they are under pressure to ensure peace is kept. But I think there is where abuse can kick in. Because watching this trial (and this is not the first time "the" police is accused of this kind of behavior) there seems to be something wrong with what some interpret as "ensuring peace".
Try to keep in mind that behind every shield and face guard is a guy/gal just trying to earn a living and go home to their family. Not really any different from you or any protestor. The difficulty ususally arises when the rock throwing, ball bearings (for the horses), placards with metal poles (to poke and beat the police) bags of dried (animal) blood, sharpened large coins (like the old English pennys) are used against the police.
Eventually one or more of them may get scared and react in a manner that brings the entire contingent into question and disrepute. The cops don't want to be there although the aspect of overtime pay is desireable to many but for the most part they would rather be sitting in a cruiser, drinking Timmys and having fun. Not unlike most people you know.
When the shit hits the fan, the cops are investigated and that investigation is a huge pain in the ass for all concerned including the protester who likely faces criminal charges, and for what?
Eventually one or more of them may get scared and react in a manner that brings the entire contingent into question and disrepute. The cops don't want to be there although the aspect of overtime pay is desireable to many but for the most part they would rather be sitting in a cruiser, drinking Timmys and having fun. Not unlike most people you know.
When the shit hits the fan, the cops are investigated and that investigation is a huge pain in the ass for all concerned including the protester who likely faces criminal charges, and for what?
True. Do you hear me saying these policemen are monsters, hunting for blood? :wink:grimy said:Try to keep in mind that behind every shield and face guard is a guy/gal just trying to earn a living and go home to their family. Not really any different from you or any protestor.
What I do say is that abuse happens - and more than once. The protester in Genoa did not die because the police was so nice to him. And when a protester is beaten to death, I do wonder whether the ones who did that are as much as "victims" as you portray them as. I do call it murder. Maybe I've been too generalising in my first post (although that was not my intention) - my apologies. But this is how I think about it.
RE: Italy Police Face G8
It's important to remember that they shot a girl with rubber bullets in Miami. Know what she was doing? Praying for peace.
It's important to remember that they opened fire on unarmed native protestors at Ipperwash and then did all they could to keep them from getting to the hospital. Dudley George was murdered that night.
It's important to rember that at APEC in Vancouver they were pepper spraying people who being not just peaceful, but even nominally cooperative. Is not moving fast enough a huge threat to police?
In Quebec City they responded to stuffed animals with water cannon and tear gas. Svend Robinson was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while marching.
Jaggi Singh was arrested with extreme force and treated as dangerous...it was clearly excessive. His crime? Speaking into a bull horn.
Is it all cops? There is a gang mentality that's pretty obvious when you talk to them, so one can set off a bunch of others rather easily.
The big problem is the political orders and the way these things are handled by the officials though. They put up the barricades, they do their best to keep the protestors from being heard, from even being seen by the rich men in the three piece suits that are the root cause of the protest. Somebody shoots a teddy bear out a sling shot and gets hit with a water cannon for it. Somebody else decides they should throw rocks.
It just escalates and it goes back to the way it is first handled by the politicians. They are afraid of the protestors...afraid to even look at the people they are supposed to represent.
It's important to remember that they shot a girl with rubber bullets in Miami. Know what she was doing? Praying for peace.
It's important to remember that they opened fire on unarmed native protestors at Ipperwash and then did all they could to keep them from getting to the hospital. Dudley George was murdered that night.
It's important to rember that at APEC in Vancouver they were pepper spraying people who being not just peaceful, but even nominally cooperative. Is not moving fast enough a huge threat to police?
In Quebec City they responded to stuffed animals with water cannon and tear gas. Svend Robinson was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while marching.
Jaggi Singh was arrested with extreme force and treated as dangerous...it was clearly excessive. His crime? Speaking into a bull horn.
Is it all cops? There is a gang mentality that's pretty obvious when you talk to them, so one can set off a bunch of others rather easily.
The big problem is the political orders and the way these things are handled by the officials though. They put up the barricades, they do their best to keep the protestors from being heard, from even being seen by the rich men in the three piece suits that are the root cause of the protest. Somebody shoots a teddy bear out a sling shot and gets hit with a water cannon for it. Somebody else decides they should throw rocks.
It just escalates and it goes back to the way it is first handled by the politicians. They are afraid of the protestors...afraid to even look at the people they are supposed to represent.