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  berkeley2 months, 3 weeks ago

  another dark event that bush, blair and berlusconi will have to pay for.

  just reading the accounts of what happened is difficult. to imagine the italian police avoiding their day in court for seven years makes it intolerable. when it happened, i vowed to never go to italy.

  we have not had a police riot to equal this one in many decades. in that sense, fascism is a bit more advanced in italy than here. i pray we don't catch up.

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    Radiofreeeuropa2 months, 3 weeks ago

    The "bundle of sticks" and hence the word fascist is unfortunately indeed Italian in origin. Italy is odd in a sense, they swing pretty drastically from right to left in short order. Berlusconi is a curious person, it appeared to me he was elected out of frustration and more for his style than substance. If there are propeller members in Italy, I'd be curious to hear their view on Italian politics of late.

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  Radiofreeeuropa2 months, 3 weeks ago

  The violence described was a tough read... this is truly appalling.

  FTA- There are plenty of rumours that the police and carabinieri and prison staff belonged to fascist groups, but no evidence to support that. Pastore argues that that misses the bigger point: "It is not just a matter of a few drunken fascists. This is mass behaviour by the police. No one said 'No.' This is a culture of fascism." At its heart, this involved what Zucca described in his report as "a situation in which every rule of law appears to have been suspended."

  Indeed the "rule of law" has been taking a beating of late in many locations.

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  Spadecaller2 months, 3 weeks ago

  fta: "...the politicians who were responsible for the police, prison guards and prison medics have never had to explain themselves. This is not simply the story of law officers running riot, but of something uglier and more worrying beneath the surface."

  "Genoa tells us that when the state feels threatened, the rule of law can be suspended. Anywhere."

  This sounds more like the conditional laws of fascists; to politicians and right wing thugs like these the means always justify the ends. The same kind of thinking that has led to U.S. secret prison camps, torture, suspension of Habeas Corpus, and the patriot act.

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  gamahuche2 months, 3 weeks ago

  Almost unbearable read.

  I've seen vicious treatment of demonstrators dating back to the late 50's in many different places, but never anything as gut-wrenching as this. Of course there was Kent State too, which must never be forgotten.

  What is still unclear is who actually gave the green light for this to take place?

  It was so organised on so many levels that there had to be an operations centre somewhere and someone in charge.

  I'm not going to sleep easy tonight.

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    berkeley2 months, 3 weeks ago

    because the streets were full of people, the world spotlight was on genoa. the demonstrators made no secret of their plans to be there. the police had plenty of time to plan.

    who's the biggest cop in italy?

    berlusconi had to approve all of the advance plans. at least several others slightly lower down have remained hidden in the court cases thus far.

    but to imagine that the cabaneri in genoa did this all by themselves is impossible.

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