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MY SURREAL OCTOBER 15 IN ROME
(I snapped - too few - pictures of the day with my friend Fabio's old Handycam, which makes rather crappy stills. My own little Olympus ran out of batteries and I could find no open shops selling them. I wasn't too keen to snap pics anyway, as I was helping Fabio handing out leaflets for his website. Here are a few just to give you a feeling of the peaceful nature of the day...)
So yesterday I went down to Rome with my friend Fabio who, with some friends (mostly economy students) has recently launched this website:
http://www.monetaproprieta.it/site/. Fabio had made a cool sign with a couple of quotes by Auriti and Modigliani (two of Italy's foremost, veteran seigneurage experts). We took the underground to the Repubblica square, where the march was scheduled to start. There, we met up with Domenico and Silvia, two common friends of ours. It was a sunny, cloudless day and we marched in a massive, joyous and singing crowd along the intinerary which went from la Repubblica square to the San Giovanni square - where all the day's speeches were supposed to be held. San Giovanni square is traditionally the place where all Rome's protest marches end (and where huge, free rock concerts are held on May1, the Workers Day).
To make a long story short, we had a jolly good time (while handing out leaflets for the "monetaproprietà" website), it was a totally peaceful march, old grandmothers waving from their balconies, brass bands and much music playing - all in all a superbly calm and happy atmosphere during the entire walk (which lasted from 2pm to about 5:30pm).
I need to make it perfectly clear that we did not see:
- ONE SINGLE burning car
- ONE SINGLE act of violence
- ONE SINGLE broken glass/window - or much less destroyed banks
- ANY hordes of 'Black Blocs' - but for a few kids (15/20) with covered faces which were roundly booed by the crowd as they passed by.
Are you getting the picture? I SAW NO ACTS OF VIOLENCE - AT ALL - IN OVER 3 and 1/2 HOURS, WALKING ALONG THE ITINERARY WHICH WENT STRAIGHT TO SAN GIOVANNI. I SAW LOTS OF
IDLE POLICE FORCES - BUT NO ACTS OF VIOLENCE.
As we got near the San Giovanni square, however, this is the scene we encountered:
So basically, the access to the San Giovanni square was blocked (by countless police vehicles) - and that's where our day ended. We just had to go home. Of course, we hanged around in that street for a while and tried to get into San Giovanni - but to no avail. Some rather odd individuals were walking around telling everyone that there had been terrible fights in San Giovanni square and that we had better abandon any idea of trying to enter the square..."for our own safety". So, like good and sensible citizens that we are, this is what we eventually did: we went home. Earlier, my girlfriend had called my on my cellphone advising me to do the same - since she was watching TV and had seen all sorts of horrifying mayhem (more about that later - my girlfriend has some true gems to tell regarding what TV broadcasted LIVE...)
This is just about all I have to say about my personal experience in Rome, on October 15 2011.
But I have been looking at the absurd imagery that the media has released. Stay tuned.
have to disagree with you. I was rioting back then with a covered face as all the clever ones. Why?