Sicilian Culture: The News & Views: Morgue Set Up For G8 Summit -

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Morgue Set Up For G8 Summit - - Unprecedented Violence Anticipated
By Julian Coman & Robert Fox from The Sunday Telegraph
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ROME -- (July 15, 2001) Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, has ordered security forces to prepare for unprecedented levels of violence at this week's G8 summit in Genoa, authorizing the purchase of 200 body bags and the setting up of a temporary morgue in a hospital.
In the most tense build-up to an international summit for decades, the Italian government fears a violent backlash to events at last month's European Union summit in Goteborg, where one protester was shot by police during riots.
The United States has already laid plans to remove President George W. Bush from his hotel to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the Gulf of Genoa should serious rioting begin.
For the past month, anti-capitalist protest groups have said that disturbances at Genoa will dwarf those seen previously at Seattle, Prague and Goteborg. More than 100,000 protesters are expected to converge on the city, many intent on breaking through to the summit area.
Mr. Berlusconi has placed his authority on the line to ensure a peaceful summit, supervising the most elaborate security measures ever seen for a G8 meeting.
A missile defence system has been installed at Genoa airport to deter airborne terrorist attack. The land-based rockets have a range of 14 kilometres and were previously deployed along the Adriatic coast during the NATO conflict with Yugoslavia.
Other than Mr. Bush, most G8 leaders will be accommodated on the liner European Vision, moored in Genoa harbour, which will be guarded by the military and Italian police.
The Brigata Folgore, the Italian equivalent of the SAS, has been placed on stand-by.
"We will do anything necessary to allow this summit to take place without disturbance," said a spokesman for the Italian Interior Ministry.
There are fears however, that some protesters may already have penetrated the Red Zone where the summit will take place. "If that is the case, we'll just have to get them out when the time comes," said a Genoa police official.
The summit begins on Friday, but from Wednesday the city will effectively be under siege. Italian State Railways announced last Friday that both of Genoa's main stations would close two days in advance, in an attempt to keep protesters away from the harbour area where the summit is being held.
The heavy precautions have angered protest groups. Vittorio Agnoletto, the spokesman for the Genoa Social Forum, which is co-ordinating more than 1,000 anti-summit groups and associations, said: "If closing the stations is supposed to be a challenge to us, then we can tell them right now that we are going to get there whatever happens." Across the Internet, organizations have threatened violence.
The German anarchist group, Autonomen, has promised disruption using "whatever means possible."
Luca Casarini, the leader of the Italian anarchist group, the White Overalls, said the group had studied police tactics for the past month. "We know their strategy and how to defeat it," he said. "We will be using some highly unconventional methods and when we storm the city's off-limit zone, we will be ready to defend ourselves. This is not going to be a small conflict. This is a revolution."
As pre-summit tension rises, Italian ministers have fiercely criticized the decision, taken by the previous premier, Giuliano Amato, to hold the summit in Genoa. "The choice of Genoa for an occasion such as this was an act of complete irresponsibility," said Giuliano Urbani, the minister for culture. "People will be at risk, and so will the cultural monuments."
www.ottawacitizen.com:80/business/010715/5016752.html
The Ottawa Citizen Online

PACIFISTS IMPLICATED IN VIOLENCE ?
CAUSALTIES HIGH AFTER THREE DAYS OF RIOTING
During a night raid on the staging rooms of the offices of the "Genoa Social Forum", which claims to be a "pacifist" group, the police confiscated a van which provided weapons used by the "Black Block" during the rioting in Genoa.
According to authorities, 23 arrests were made.The vehicle was videotaped by a police helicopter during surveillance of the march led by the group yesterday down Via Carrera. The van, parked outside the offices, contained 75 iron clubs.
During the raid on the GSP's offices, two Molotov cocktails, clubs, pipes, 12 knives, gas masks, kneepads, and shinguards were confiscated. Also nabbed were several pairs of black overalls (the symbol of the "Black Block,") stone blocks used as weapons, and various other objects.
After three days of unrest, there were 312 reported injuries, 140 arrests, and over 100 billion lire in damage.

PHOTOS SHOW CARABINIERE SHOT PROTESTER IN SELF-DEFENSE
A 20-year old carabiniere from the Lombardy battalion has been identified as the officer who shot and killed protester Carlo Giuliani during rioting in Genoa on Friday.
The Land Rover used by the carabinieri in which the young officer found himself trapped became separated from its squadron. It was then surrounded and attacked by demonstrators wielding pipes, clubs, and rocks.
Photos of the incident showed demonstrator Carlo Giuliani about to launch a fire extinguisher at the vehicle just seconds before being struck by the fatal bullet fired by the young carabiniere who said he feared for his life.
Inside the Land Rover were pools of blood from injuries sustained to the officer's head and hand as a result of the incident.
According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the officer said he fired legitimately in an act of self-defense. A debriefing of the officer conducted by carabinieri investigators occurred at a local hospital. Even before the events of the incident became clear, Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola had already called the shooting an act of self-defense.

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A good part of Genoa seemed to regret that the city played host to the summit.
"They closed the 'red zone' and gave the rest of the city to the protesters like meat to a dog," It will cost $45 million Genoa to pay for cleanup and repairs. Ordinary citizens were left traumatised by thugs intent on trouble. The protestors had a confused and contradictory agenda.

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