A-Infos (en) France, Organization Alternating Current OC #223 - No Tav, the struggle continues in Italy (fr) [machine translation]

This contribution is the result of the participation of a French activist in the fight No 
Tav during July 2012. Analyzes and resulting feelings just a presence on the "camping 
fight" and therefore can not claim exhaustive, given the extremely wide social base of the 
movement No Tav. ---- Difficult to extend a dynamic ... ---- The year 2012 is critical for 
the movement tav No more than one title. From a purely factual point of view, the first 
breakthrough gallery must take place on the site of the clarea (near the campsite) in 
early September, the site still not really started the moment this time will be a reality. 
 ---- On the other hand, the movement has a very high dynamic. The first summer, although 
there was no victory in the strict sense, demonstrated a mass in the fight with the giant 
event July 3 (more than 70 000 people and an attack on the rule project ) and a campsite 
fight very active and meaningful initiatives.

In addition, this winter has been marked by strong moment, even if they were initiated by 
repression: the dragnet of Digos (1), involving 46 comrades in January suites clashes on 
July 3. The crackdown sparked a reaction strong enough anyway, with demonstrations from 10 
to 20,000 people in Turin the following week.
Later, when the expropriation of a place called The baita , around the site, Luca Abba 
activist history of the struggle and inhabitant of the valley, who tried to oppose the 
forces of order, fell from a tower on which he was perched, triggering a wave of protests 
and blockades in the valley, but also throughout Italy. The problem is posed: how to 
bounce on other innovative actions while a large panel action has been tried so far 
without success because the states concerned have, despite what not begun to fall on the 
issue .

Continues not continue? Progress of construction or bluff of power?

The ambiguity is whether the site will be. To listen to the politicians and the press 
seems obvious and inevitable. A look at the accounts of the Italian state and progress of 
the project, it is less obvious. However, do not play triumphalism and to wring the neck 
victory speech: the site is well and truly begun. Today the galleries are not yet dug but 
improvements have been made ââto accommodate all the drills, the site area has expanded 
very strongly for two years, and the fact that there are more cops workers (which will 
always be the case now) is not a sign of lack of progress.
Militarization of the site has never been stronger, which means a significant financial 
investment from of the Italian state. In the middle of July, an article in the Figaro led 
the agitation: the French state would be willing to give up many high-speed line because 
of empty crates. Within the movement that has been considered encouraging but 
insignificant. The major part of the people think that it is a "shot com. "From the French 
government to put pressure on Europe, so that it finance a larger share of the project. 
Nevertheless, it is clear that for NO TAV movement participants, given the political 
importance taken by the project, the victory can only come from a negative situation 
involving both control criteria and economic criteria. The idea is to multiply actions on 
the site to raise fees. During the summer of 2011, the simple cost of enforcement 
(regardless of basic safety infrastructures) were estimated at 90 000 euros per day.

Maintain a balance of power, be creative ...

It is therefore this: the state is willing to put the financial package level, the 
movement is rooted and wide, but enough for now. He had to find something new. And more so 
that the movement tended to "falter". Indeed, throughout the month of July several forces 
have been relatively absent from the fight. First the Turin anarchists occupied by the 
struggles of housing in the capital of Piedmont and less invested. Second, and more 
serious, the people of the valley who were camping on the family fight last year, there 
was little or no present this year.
latter figure is explained by peers as a successful state Regarding criminalization. 
Indeed, during raids in January "citizens lambdas" (meaning not from the revolutionary 
movement) found themselves imprisoned and interrogated. No movement has always refused tav 
dissociation activists / residents of the valley, it is logical for the state to expand 
the fields repressive and it is equally logical to see people get frightened. To balance 
this table probably a little dark, we nevertheless noted that the presence of people in 
the valley was effective in popular assemblies which accounted between 200 and 400 people 
and decision-making meetings in number a little smaller.
Taking into account these handicaps, he was still on leave with dynamic forces, ie 
tourists activists (many French, some Spanish ...), the autonomous Askatasuna of Turin as 
well as various groups of the radical Italian anarchists or other ... The idea was to be 
able to maintain a balance of power at the same time continuing to "besiege" site while 
avoiding the trap of focusing on the model of what took place in March ( blockades of 
highways, railways voice ...).
This is a logical decision, harp on the site is back in a power struggle with the military 
state of strength or necessarily losing so stupidly symbolic.
Specifically, out camping, it was mostly action against hotels that house the cops. So we 
were awaken members of the Guarda di Finanzia (2) and Carabinieri in Sestriere at night. 
This type of action took place last year, with some success, as the hotels that housed the 
police had refused to renew the contract this year. Other rallies were held in front 
companies involved in the work (there are very few in the valley).
Such actions, however, have not been included to the extent required and as usual, and 
ultimately it is the usual procedures that we took the relay. July 21 was provided for a 
"ride" to the site. There was no doubt that this ballad was a pretext to attack the site.
's action was a success from a collective point of view. Barriers were shot, screens and 
perforated projectors were destroyed during the two-hour clash in three different 
locations. Some people have returned to the site and have actually attacked causing 
thousands of dollars of damage. Incidentally, and this is what the press has chosen the 
most DIGOS Chief of Turin made ââa glide after being blown by a carta bomba (3). This 
action together a few thousand people and mainly contributed to remind the public of the 
existence of the movement.

Logical: repression

Then voila! Italy collusion media / cop / government is worse in France, so naturally when 
we saw that the Italian press is unleashed on the No Tav asking more repression and 
expulsion from the camp after the night of 21, we all said it smelled a bit. There was no 
deportation camp, despite repeated requests by politicians of both right and left. 
Apparently the local cops had to demonstrate pedagogy, explaining that this action would 
strengthen the movement more than anything else.
Nevertheless before what should have been a big show of strength of the movement, the 
protest of July 28, the cops have increased repression, expulsions multiplying territory 
for foreign nationals. The following Tuesday the 21 is nine French who are deported before 
they could arrive at the campsite. On the eve of the protest, one French, three Swiss and 
one Greek are expelled in Operation "red zone" of Val Susa. There were about 2,000 cops in 
the valley and it was almost impossible to move without being controlled. Controlled 
people were accused of belonging to groups "antagonists" as they had in their possession a 
gas mask or helmet and a knife (the argument "it was to cut the pie" did not appear 
enough) but also black t-shirt (we do not laugh). In short nothing illegal in the strict 
sense, but what fill the pages of La Stampa for a few days and allow the criminalization 
of NO TAV movement and more specifically anarchist groups active in the fight. 
Criminalization works in part because July 28 is "only" 5 to 6000 people marched in Val 
Susa (which is still ok given the difficulties in accessing the valley).

More ...

Eventually I was not. So I can not take that the facts narrated or via the Italian press. 
Without prejudging the balance of power, it does not appear that the state is for the 
moment in a position of weakness. He resumed the hand as evidenced by the multiple arrests 
(see box) and "complaints" (calling the police to signify the opening of an investigation 
on the person) and has no real interest in releasing the pressure.
struggle anyway will not be winning if it remains confined to a valley. Never the movement 
was so strong that in March when the protests wild invaded all stations in Italy. The need 
is to expand the fight NO TAV in France to avoid destructive construction of this line. In 
July, we saw a presentation of the group NO TAV ChambÃry and Grenoble, which began 
mobilization on the French route. For now confined to a sort of relay of information, 
there is the desire to make a real tool of struggle. If this process takes, it would 
probably be decisive in the choice of the French state already quite reluctant to continue 
its railway policy.
Anyway, we do not say it enough: only struggle pays!
_________________________________________
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