Caravan Diary: Saturday, July 21    <->

Secondy day of action against the G8-summit, here's a listing of what has happened on J21. For more information on the events, please go to it.imc, uk.imc, at.imc, ch.imc and de.imc.


04.40: People staying at several places all over the city are very afraid of being raided and beaten up by the police. Some rather small groups are actually thinking of how to get safe to the mediacenter so that at least they are not alone. Also, people at the hospitals called for somebody to pick them up - they're very scared as well.
02.50: At least one of the people arrested at the cafe/pizzaria at via trento in the evening is free, but under heavy shock - during the arrest, he's been heavily beaten up by the police.
~02.30: The police withdraws, people can enter the empty school, they find blood spread all over in most of the rooms; It's quite obvious: the mission was to beat as many people as possible to or at least near dead. When the civil riot police (the cops that were beating up the people inside the school before) left the building, one of the policemen was seen putting on a large Tricolore-bow, the symbol of the Italian fascists (confirmed by several eyewitnesses).
~01.00: A lot of ambulances show up near the school, medics run inside the building about one hour after the police has entered the building. During the next one hour, people are constantly carried out by medics, some of them showing no reaction at all. Many of them are still in their sleeping-bag. Some persons are also carried out by policemen, not on stretchers but put on open sleepingbags - secured by a huge crowd of carabineri in riotgear trying to prevent the number of cameras being able to document the state of the person. They don't succeed, it's more than obvious that these people are dead or almost dead. An estimated number of 25 persons are at least heavily injured, 1-2 are likely to be dead. Others who can, mainly children and women, walk are put in prisonvans;
00.02: More riot police, civil and uniformed, most of them carabineri obviously entered the school opposite the IMC, provided by the GSF for protesters. Although all people inside the building were either sleeping or immediately standing hands up along the walls, the police started to charge them with extreme brutality;
00.02: Most of the carabineri entered the school opposite of the IMC. The next half hour remains unclear at theat moment;
00.02: Civil riot police with sticks and helmets, some mummed, violently entered the IMC building, raid the building and steal some cameras, footage, etc.; Suddenly, after about an hour, a woman shows up, shows her ID to the police and asks them to leave. The police does so, but without returning any of the stolen things, of course;
21.30: Three arbitrary arrests in a cafe/pizzaria at via trento, 2 minutes from IMC; at least one person was obviously arrested because the police discovered a wound resulting from a grenade shot by police at his head;
21.20: 2 policecars slowly passing by in front of the IMC where a crowd of people was standing, people start to shout "bastardi". It's not confirmed that some people also threw things after the cars;
20.25: Solidarity demonstrations with hudereds of people in many cities worldwide, mostly in Europe;
20.22: Most mainstream media have reduced their estimations on the number of participants in the protest from 300.000 down to 50.000;
20.16: More people heading from the Convergence Center to Brigniole from where they want to take trains home;
20.00: The situation seems to have calmed down, no reports on riots at this time;
19.27: Thousands of people are waiting for trains to go home at Brignole Station. No police visible inside or in front of the station, the situation is calm;
19.10: Some hundered people in the area north or Brignole Station are not allowed to move south and are charged by the police;
19.04: More information on the grenades the police fired directly at several people's heads from close distance: 40mm grenades filled either with normal teargas (CS) or CN, a special form of teargas that reacts simmilar to nervegas. This is definite information!
19.04: More information on the grenades the police fired directly at several people's heads from close distance: 40mm grenades filled either with teargas of CS (nerve gas). This is definitly confirmed!
18.39: Reports of 36 arrests in the area of Brignole-Marassi; (not confirmed!)
18.37: Sturla seems relatively quiet and safe at the moment;
18.27: About 500 people going home from the demonstration in the area of Marassi are once again being charged by the police;
18.20: Corso Sardegna completely emptied by the police, people had to move back to east, most of them in small groups. The situation remains rather confused;
18.15: 10.000 at Via Caprera near Quarto Station, rifondazione comunista is treating with police to let people reach Brignole Station from where many, most of them from Milano, want to leave tonight;
18.01: About 30.000 people are moving to Quarto to a police-station, rather light teargas attacks once again;
17.53: Dense situation at around Piazza Tommaseo next to Stazione Brignole: lots of police (100+) are arriving with gasguns. 1000 - 2000 People who want to walk back from Corso Sardegna through the tunnel can't because the police is constantly fireing teargas into the tunnel from the south. First charges have also begun at the southside of the tunnel;
17.53: Many people are walking back on Corso Italia in the direction of Quarto and Nervi;
17.50: Estimations speak of between 150.000 and 300.000 protesters;
17.45: Heavy fire in the building at the corner Via Rimassa / Corso Italia not far from the Infopoint, fire brigades are arriving;
17.38: First aid guy was heavily beaten by the police, when he was laying on the ground the police used pepperspray in his face and took his passport then;
17.28: Situation at Via Sardengna is now relatively calm; Riots at Via Zara and police attacking non-violent a gathering of communist party in front of the church S. Giuliano with also children and handicaped people among them; (not confirmed!)
17.23: Activists who got injured at Piazza Kennedy said that police was using the teargas-cannons as weapons, firing directly at the poaple's heads from very close distance;
17.18: The demonstration has officially ended, but the people, especially those at the end of the demonstration, are exposed to heave charges and teargas by the police.
17.15: Ya Basta moves back to the Carlini Stadium whereas french farmers and communists are walking down Corso Galleria and seem to want to go to the Convention Center; (not confirmed!)
17.03: Heavy charges also at Via Sardengna, 200m north of tunnel.
17.00: Larger parts of the demonstration at Via Sardenga are heading towards Piazza Ferraris, followed by the police that constantly teargases the end of the demonstration;
16.42: Massive teargas and charges against demonstration at Corso Sardegna to push people north.
16.35: Riot-reports at Corso Torino;
16.32: Policeline at Via Tollemaide next to the tunnel at Stazione Brignole;
16.29: Mainstream media speak of 150.000 protesters in Genoa; Solidarity demonstrations are being held in many cities, e.g. Berlin, Germany 500 people;
16.22: Peaceful demonstration in the area of Stazione Brignole.
16.21: Injured people arrive at the IMC.
16.20: A residental house on fire at the corner Corse Torino / Via Telemidge.
16.19: Police charges at Corso Italia, Piazza Kennedy is relatively quiet now.
16.11: Police is coming from the stairs, pushing people forwards to the IMC.
16.04: More teargas at the stairs, some people are being pushed up the stairs in the direction of the IMC, some smaller groups have already arrived;
15.54: Charges and teargas at people around the stairs above Kennedy, near IMC;
15.53: Parts of the demonstration have reached Stazione Brignole;
15.46: At least 50 civil police with helmets and sticks attack peopple at Kennedy;
15.42: Police continues to teargas Piazza Kennedy from the stairs above and the space around;
15.42: Police broke up the demonstration;
15.38: Police charges the human chain at Via Casaretti charged by the police;
15.30: People that have been staying at the Redipuglia Camp have been arrested; (not confirmed!)
15.25: Biggest part of the demonstration at Via Casaretti, the police is behind them and tries to split the demonstration; Cars are set on fire to block the police, protesters also building human chains; Others are at Corso Torino, there it's more quiet;
15.13: There are about 2000 left at Piazza Kennedy, most parts of the demo have already moved to the streets north;
15.06: Demonstration moving north, most at Corso Casaregis, some, with Tute Bianche among them, at Corso Torino;
14.59: Charges on almost all parts of the demonstration, some protesters answer with molotov cocktails;
14.54: Demonstration extremely long: from Piazza Kennedy along the seaside at Corso Marconi;
14.45: People from the "so-called black bloc" and people with helmets are verbally attacked by other demonstrators; Police is continuing teargas attacks inside the tents at the infopoint and at people;
14.29: Demonstration from the Carlini Stadium has almost arrived at Piazza Kennedy but there are police blockedes towards the center of Genoa;
14.26: Teargas-attacks against peaceful protesters continue at Piazza Kennedy, stopping demonstration; Also charges at the head of the demonstration;
14.20: Reports speak of riots at Stazione Brignole; (not confirmed!)
14.16: Again teargas at Kennedy, but no big riots; Police recomands cars to avoid Piazza Kennedy;
14.02: Obviously the police searchs other camps as well;
14.00: The march from Sturla to Piazza Kennedy has arrived, more than 100.000 protesters;
14.00: Police has left the Ciclamini Camp;
13.55: The demo has started, the Disobediance Block and Cobas are on the way to join in;
13.30: 6 vans of policewith gasmasks at the Ciclamini Camp doing controls, obviously looking for single people;
13.25: Peaceful people teargassed at Piazza Kennedy (light attack only);
13.20: Mediaset journalist attacked within the "so called black bloc", got his legs broken;
13.14: Police has just confirmed the following arrests from yesterday (J20): 49 italian, 6 french, 4 spanish, 4 german, 1 us, 2 swiss, 1 greek; Folgende festnahmen fuer gestern (J20) wurden von der polizei bestaetigt: 49 italienerInnen, 6 franzoesInnen, 4 spanierInnen, 4 deutsche, 1 us, 2 schweizerInnen, 1 griechInnen;
13.10: Due to the events yesterday, it seems that the original plans for the demonstration have been abondoned, it will just start; (not confirmed!)
12.48: Police arrives at Carlini Stadium;
12.20: First demonstration from the Carlini Stadium has started;
12.05: The "Drop the Dept Campaign" has decided to go on with the planned march today;
12.00: More than 1.000 people at the Convention Center, many thousands more on the streets in the east. No protesting yet, just waking up, discussing, etc.; Reports of people having seen fascist police driving by and holding their guns out of the windows as a sign of "victory";
10.05: Everything calm at the moment. There are no reports yet that spaces had been raided overnight.