Italian Indymedia and Florence, Torino and Bologna Social Centers Under Attack

This morning around 7.00, police knocked at the doors of a few social
centers: Gabrio in Torino, Cecco Rivolta in Firenze, TPO in Bologna,
as well as those of the Cobas offices in Taranto. The huge
mobilitation (a lot of cars, vans, and riot cops) was due to an order
from Genova's attorney.

The attorneys Andrea Canciani and Anna Canepa ordered to seize audio
and video material referring to Genova facts, focusing on what could
deal with the police raid at the Media Center and the massacre at the
Diaz-Pertini school.

The search warrant explains that such material would have been
collected through the Italy Indymedia website, and would be situated
in the social centers Gabrio, TPO, Cecco Rivolta, and in Cobas
offices in Taranto, and in other places (using an aleathory form
which allows them to search and seize at their pleasure).

Searches are still going on. Police is seizing computers, archives,
and all of the stuff that hundreds of italian activists need for
their daily cultural and political activities.

The search warrant locates these places as "Indymedia offices".
Italy Indymedia states that Indymedia has no offices, but works through
the thousands of people who contribute to the website, and commit
themselves to produce a free and independent information. Italy
Indymedia decision making and project processes take place over the
internet, through open and publicly accessible mailing lists and
chatrooms. A daily and cooperative effort carried on by hundreds of
people, who won't be threatened.

This morning, an attack has been struck against freedom of
information. A few places have been targeted, to exercise a political
pressure on a complex and manifold subject as Italy Indymedia.

The material seized in Bologna, Firenze, Torino, Taranto, just like
all of Indymedia stuff, is freely viewable on our website. And so are
the archives of our mailing lists, of our chats, and of all our
activities.

Indymedia has nothing to hide.

Italy Indymedia, a network of independent media, reports a severe
attack to free information. We take note that minister Scajola, after
speech, is turning to facts. And Genova gets back under public
attention. After partial and smoky investigations which were supposed
to find proof of police violence, and while the dynamics of the
murder of Carlo Giuliani haven't been cleared yet, while the
officals responsible of the public order during those days are still
holding their seats, and in a few cases even got promoted.

We invite everyone to join Italy Indymedia at the demonstration
called in Rome for March,16th by Radio Onda Rossa.
For a free and independent information.

http://italy.indymedia.org

Independent Media Center Italia - the italian media revolution -

Contacts: italy@indymedia.org

-Indymedia is a network of people working on communication-related
issues: videomakers, radios, journalists, photographers.

-Indymedia was estabilished in Seattle to cover the protests and demo
against the WTO.

Indymedia is an open publishing site, without any form of censorship,
where anybody can upload audio, video, pictures and articles. Italy
Indymedia has no redaction: we work through public mailing lists and
open chatrooms.

-The Independent Media Center is a network of collectively run media
outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings
of the truth.
We work out of a love and inspiration for people who continue to work
for a better world, despite corporate media's distortions and
unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity.

An early-morning, unedited report on the Italian raids can be found below:

This unconfirmed report just came in, of three Italian social centers and the Italian Indymedia facilities under police attack this morning. The unedited English-language message is reproduced below, and we hope to confirm and update this as soon as possible.

"We are under attack

call us or write us for more information

I am putting a feature on the global site

sorry for stepping out of process

but I think you will understand

[english]
7.00. am

Firenze. Torino . Bologna Carabinieri (paramilitary police) awake some
social centers addressed as indymedia centers. It seems to be back in a
demo: three landrover, a van and a couple of cars more carry out the
search.

They are looking for audio and video material from Indypendent Media
Center (Indymedia): it is a national police operation. Still going on.
Scajola (our Interiori Minister) goes beyond words and Genoa is back in
the headlines. Independent information pays the price of the Single
Thought.

Genoa aftermath begins to be more clearly outlined, after misty and
partial enquiries and investigation looking for ppolice violence
evidences, now repression kicks in. Looking for excuses.

for upcoming news refer to: http://italy.indymedia.org

allready available (very short) features in italian:

FIRENZE - g.c.a. Cecco Rivolta

Firenze

TORINO - c.s.o.a. Gabrio

Torino

BOLOGNA - c.s.o.a. Teatro Polivalente Occupato (TPO)

Bologna

all this refers to facts happening this early morning, more details to
come: the italian police is still sieging the three centri sociali
targeted for this operation.

the ordinance has been emanated by the tribunale of Genova, police is
seizing all the audio/video and digital information materials produced
about the demonstrations in Genova, which they consider crucial

the july 2001 in occasion of the G8 meeting, whoever can be considered
responsible for them, to make possible a complete reconstruction of the
events and the identification of responsables, appears to be necessary
to seize the photo and video documentation gathered by "Indipendent
Media Center - Italy"; [...] >>

(quoting the "decreto di perquisizione locale" exhibited for the seizing
of documentation materials into the Gabrio in Torino, N.17621/01/44
R.G.)

the fear, likely to become reality as far as i know italy and the way
the minister scajola is acting, is that those seized materials will be
used to identify IMC people and accuse them on the basis of some freshly
invented anti-terrorist law.

if you think this is just paranoia, spend a few thoughts about how much
independent information is important today in italy, and how much is the
power of the corporate information regime in such a nation: the fourth
power (quoting orson welles) reached to have elected his owner, despite
the many crimes he is accused for (even recognized on a european
legislation basis) and he is now on the way to sell out and privatize
(guess who'll buy it) all the public television channels in italy and -
as of this last national police operation - shut up grassroot organized
independent information and seize all the documentation materials.

if you care, you can help: please let be known at least outside of italy
what is happening in there, finally what is happening is not only
concerning my stupid nation but it can be considered part of a much
larger scenario.