21 Mar 2010

Massive anti-Berlusconi protest

just got this from Fabio, grazie amico. Even the Economist are against Berlusconi, what a night mare...


The government of Silvio Berlusconi is setting up a project of privatization
of the public water in Italy. In november, the government approved the law
project and now it is under approval at the parliament. The possibility to
see italian water held by corporations alarmed a lot of people and many
committees have been organized all over the country in order to stop the
water privatization. Yesterday all thees committees, left parties, social
centers and common people went out in force through the streets of Rome to
reclaim ACQUA PUBBLICA E DIFESA DEI BENI COMUNI (transl. public water and
commonwealth defence).

This demostration have been populated by both public water committees
(official site: www.acquabenecomune.org) and many committees for the defence
of the territory and environment and for social justice. The watchwords of
this protest have been: public water and public resources, stop building
incinerators or coal plants, grassroot democracy, self- determination of the
territories and defence of the workers rights.

I think we can consider this as a "de facto" ecosocialist demostration.
Despite no one openly mentioned the Belem Declaration or the ecosocialist
manifesto, there is a huge similarity between the ecosocialist instances and
the watchwords of yesterday afternoon.
This should make us think that ecosocialism has a great outlook in the
shaping of the left of the 20th century.

One last thing. The demonstration of yesterday coincided with the rally of
PM Silvio Berlusconi, on the other side of the city. Officials reports that
the supporters of Berlusconi, called and organized from all the country,
have been less than 150.000, while the protesters for public water have been
more than 200.000. An independent demonstration largely defeated the one in
support of the PM wich have been organized by the biggest italian party.

For references:
http://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2010/03/20/news/corteo_acqua-2778409/index.html?ref=search

THINK GREEN

ps. Our dear, little ecorise lab was there ;) in the next days I am going to
share pics and links soon...

--
Nothing in Culture Makes Sense Except in the Light of Free Sharing.

F*

1 comment:

Matteo said...

Dear Derek,
thanks for posting!
Can I add also a link to the movement's main website?
http://www.acquabenecomune.org/

Imperialism Is the Arsonist: Marxism’s Contribution to Ecological Literatures and Struggles

Derek Wall ’s article entitled  Imperialism Is the Arsonist: Marxism’s Contribution to Ecological Literatures and Struggles , argues that Ma...