From Stephanie Wesbrook
Editor’s note: Opposition to what would be a major new hub for the U.S. military in Europe is not new. Protest marches have filled Vicenza’s streets. The Italian Prime Minister has lost his job. But now construction has neared, and protesters have occupied the site to prevent it. See background here.
This morning around 10 a.m. the movement opposing the new U.S. base in Vicenza, Italy, entered and occupied the site. The police were caught completely off guard and the activists were able to cut the fence and gates and occupy the area. Once the police arrived, they were planning to forcibly remove the protesters. However, the protesters are occupying an area that was the airport Dal Molin, which is technically under control of the Italian civilian aviation authority, ENAC, who has said the protest is legitimate. So far the police have backed off. Tonight there will be a public assembly followed by a dinner and concert. Monday, Feb 2, had been announced by the movement as the start of a week of initiativeto protest the demolition work that is being carried out in preparation for the construction of the base, but it looks like the activists got off to an early start!
See below a *rough* translation of an article.
There is a short video on La 7: http://tinyurl.com/c7nqq6
You can also follow updates in Italian on the No Dal Molin and And Global Project sites:
http://www.nodalmolin.it
http://www.globalproject.info/art-18748.html
For background, see the dossier in English:
http://www.peaceandjustice.it/vicenza
(Original in Italian – http://tinyurl.com/bfsdan)
Blitz in Vicenza: Site of the New US Base Occupied
About two hundred activists of the “No Dal Molin” movement entered the area of the Vicenza airport where a few days ago the construction of the new U.S. military base Camp Ederle 2 began.
The blitz was announced by the members of the movement themselves.
The police are on the site – including the Questore of Vicenza – and are overseeing the peaceful occupation of the area.
To enter the area the protesters cut a piece of the fence. The Questore Sarlo is trying to start negotiations with the demonstrators. There are also members of the Disobbedienti who arrived from Padova and other cities of the Veneto region.
The situation for the moment is calm. The demonstrators displayed banners and posters against the U.S. military, and with the spray paint wrote “Vicenza City of Peace” and “You demolish, we build peace”. The protesters have not reached the area from the inside of Dal Molin, protected by a fence, which is being developed by the company in charge of demolishing the existing structures.
Some of the coop workers of CMC of Ravenna that were working on the site were taken away as a precaution. A fact that the ‘No Dal Molin’ have already declared as a victory.
Twenty demonstrators were on the roofs, while outside began assembling a tent. “This – said the Committee – is the response by those opposed to the project to the announcement of the imminent start of construction. On October 5, through the popular consultation, the participants decided in a vote by a large majority that the land must be devoted to civilian uses, therefore seeking to implement the project means trampling democracy.”
For the protesters, the project to double the U.S. base is “illegitimate and illegal, because the proponents have refused to accept that a detailed environmental impact assessment be made of the site, a useful tool in protecting the health and the area.” The occupation, the say, will continue indefinitely.
