International protest against Genoa police brutality growing

Published: Friday 27 July 2001

International human rights organisations are accusing the Italian police of using extreme violence against anti-globalisation protesters during the G8-meeting.

Background:

The G8 Summit in Genoa was marred by violent riots that claimed the life of a young Italian protestor, shot by the riot police. Other recent economic summits have witnessed similar levels of violent protests, notably the EU Summit of Gothenburg in June, as well as WTO, IMF and World Bank meetings that regularly come under attack from anti-globalisation demonstrations.

Other related news:

British protesters released on Wednesday 25 July accused the Italian police of torturing some of the held prisoners and threatening them with rape and violence. According to some sources, most of the prisoners were denied their basic human and legal rights.

Positions:

The British government announced that they have asked the Italian administration to investigate the allegations. German Greens politician Hans-Christian Stroebele accused the Italian police of using violence reminding him "of the depictions in Argentina during the military dictatorship". Stroebele has asked for an international inquiry into the use of violence by the Genoan police forces.

Amnesty International and the International Federation of Journalists condemned the acts of violence and are also demanding further investigation. In a letter to European Parliament president Nicole Fontaine, the Green Group in the EP urged the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights to look into the possible use of article 7 of the Nice Treaty, which foresees that the Parliament and the Council "may determine the existence of a serious and persistent breach by a Member State" of fundamental human rights principles.