Exactly today 20 years, am 20. July 2001, Carlo Giuliani, then 23, died in a street battle during the G8 summit in Genoa when the Italian Carabinieri were shot. We spoke to activists from Kassel about their memories of the summit protests in the Italian port city and what political significance the death still has today.
Actually, she wouldn't have planned to, to go to Genoa, tells Karla, the 2001 was politically active in Kassel. Your political environment was also not directly part of the anti-globalization movement.
“We were also critical of that, finally we said to each other: We are not fundamentally against globalization. For us, the question arose rather, how globalization is taking place. Even then we criticized the European isolationist policy, while goods can be sent freely around the globe. Of course we refused. "
– Karla, Activist from Kassel
Shortly before the summit, then Chancellor Gerhard Schröder reported (SPD) personally and called for tougher crackdown on militant activists. German “traveling violent criminals” would be prevented from leaving the country, he promised the Italian government. So then became known, that there are lists, on which people are led as supposed "chaots". That was a novelty, remembers Karla. When they found out, the decision was made, but to go to Genoa on the spur of the moment.
“That was mainly due to Schröder, we really hated him! If he said don't do this or that ’, then we did it all the more. "
Only a few days later, a fully occupied coach from Kassel set off for Italy. It was held up and searched for hours at the border with Switzerland, In the end, however, everyone was allowed to leave. However, the bus only arrived in Genoa, when the fatal shots had been fired.
“The news reached us on the way, that the cops shot someone, that Carlo was murdered. We were all completely shocked and no one knew exactly how the situation on site was actually. That's how we arrived in Genoa. "
The tour group from Kassel stayed there for a few days, the situation was confusing. It was difficult without cell phones anyway, keep track of things and stay in touch, remembers Karla.
Some other Kassel activists, who have been in Genoa for a long time, had their sleeping place in the Diaz school. It was discovered by the Italian police on the night of 21. on the 22. Stormed July. Who stayed there, was partly beaten up while lying in her sleeping bag and then taken into custody.
“That night we were brutally beaten by the police, partly almost beaten to death. You know the pictures of us, as we (z.T. heavy) injured were carried out of this building. You know, that we continued to be mistreated in the Bolzaneto barracks, threatened and humiliated, that we were not allowed to sleep or eat and that we were not given any medical care. We will never forget that. But neither are we forgotten, why we came here to Genoa back then. "
– Manifesto of those affected from the Diaz school (Link)
After the fatal shooting at Carlo Giuliani, the attack on the Diaz school and the subsequent torture in police custody was the second major shock. Lots, who have seen it, were traumatized afterwards, tells Karla. The rest of the days they would have had to mainly take care of their friends.
Giuliano Giuliani visits Kassel
Some of the Kassel activists, who were involved in the events of the G8 summit in Genoa, met again years later at the Autonomous Center. In October 2015 hat local Polit Group Giuliano Giuliani, Carlos father, invited to Kassel, to tell of his son and the circumstances of his death.
Giuliano's story was shocking and touching, Sebastian remembers, who co-organized the event at the time. He described the process in minute detail: How the Carabiniero shot his son in the head at close range and how they then ran over him twice in their car, how they immediately tried to cover up the crime and attach another demonstrator to it.
“This story of lies was such outrageous nonsense. At first it was said, Another demonstrator threw a stone and hit Carlo in the head. Then it was said, the cop fired a warning shot, it ricocheted off a flying stone in the air and hit Carlo as a ricochet. "
– Sebastian, Activist from Kassel
Using photos, the activists gathered and published on the international media platform indymedia, which emerged in the wake of the anti-globalization movement, however, the course of events can be reconstructed. At least so far, that serious doubts arose about the official representation of the Italian state, the 23-year-old was hit by a ricochet. Nevertheless, the responsible Carabiniero was not convicted.
“We didn't know Carlo, many of us were 2001 too young to classify his death as a political event, let alone be there in Genoa. Nevertheless, we were able to identify with him years later. He was just a boy, who was on the right side and determined, to fight for it too. That's why the cops shot him. That could happen to any of us. "