Newsgroup: it.politica
Titolo: The dark side of Italy's paramilitary force

The dark side of Italy's paramilitary force
Special report: globalisation
Rory Carroll
Friday July 27, 2001
The Guardian 
Rightwing thugs employed as Italian police officers were told by superiors
they could brutalise with impunity the protesters detained in Genoa, it was
claimed yesterday. 
Officers seized the opportunity to batter, terrify and humiliate dozens of
people after being assured they had the "cover" to do so, according to the
Rome daily La Repubblica.
An anonymous police officer confirmed the accounts of torture given by the
bruised, shaken protestors released from prison. "Unfortunately, it is all
true." 
The officer claimed that as last weekend's assaults intensified and victims
passed out he asked colleagues to stop. He alleges that they told him: "We
don't have to worry because we are covered."
He admitted his men had run amok in the protesters' headquarters but claimed
that the alleged torture in the Bolzaneto holding centre was the work of
GOM, the penitentiary police. He said GOM officers wore black gloves and
boasted in advance of teaching the anarchists a lesson.
The three inquiries launched into the police violence will attempt to
determine who gave the orders but there is no doubt that scores of police
officers agreed to follow the orders.
The question of how such bloodlust consumed some members of the police and
paramilitary carabinieri has sparked uproar in parliament. There is pressure
for a commission of inquiry which could oust cabinet ministers.
Francisco Martone, a Green party senator, told the BBC that fascists had
infiltrated the police. Released Italian, German and Spanish protestors
yesterday spoke of heads being banged against walls, threats of rape with
batons, people vomiting blood, soiling themselves and being urinated upon.
Football fans have long complained about the dark side of Italian policing
but opinion polls have shown robust public support for responses to fan
violence. 
A green light from above was enough to unleash savagery for a number of
reasons. The police are generally rightwing and have a tradition of
suppressing leftwing protest. A popular ditty goes: "One, two, three, viva
Pinochet/ four, five, six, death to the Jews."
Silvio Berlusconi's ruling coalition includes the post-fascist National
Alliance which won last May's election partly on a platform of law and
order. Some commentators suggest this may have emboldened police commanders.
The carabinieri are considered less political but can be gung-ho. Jokes
about their stupidity pepper Italian dinner parties.
The decision to deploypoorly trained conscripts serving their one-year
military service was a major blunder. They proved easily frightened and
easily provoked, and after two days of dodging rocks they wanted revenge.
Many are from the south where poverty, poor education and conservatism
breeds suspicion of the anti-globalisation movement.
The intelligence services hyped them up with warnings of terrorist attack
and supposed anarchist tactics - such as hurling bags of HIV-infected blood.
Days before the summit they were already jumpy.
Enrico Sciaccaluga, 19, a Genoa student, said some were so agitated the
night of the raid that they appeared drugged.
Another explanation offered is that the police chief, Gianni De Gennaro,
knew all about fighting the mafia but nothing about crowd control.
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/globalisation/story/0,7369,528210,00.html

 wrote in message
B788AEB1.24B9B%marco...@tin.it...
[CUT]
E mentre gli inglesi commentano le azioni della nostra polizia, loro che
stanno facendo in Irlanda?
Urizen

 stanno facendo in Irlanda?
se vuoi paragonare la nostra polizia a qualla unionista allora siamo
d'accordo. 
Marko


Rimprendevo solo un discorso che avevo gia' fatto qualche giorno fa'....
Criticano tanto noi quando invece  a casa loro fanno 1000 volte peggio....
Qualcuno diceva "Chi e' senza peccato scagli la prima pietra".....
Urizen