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La denuncia di Reporters sans frontieres
contro le violenze ai giornalisti
At least 16 journalists seriously injured, the press center of the
counter-summit ransacked, interrogations, confiscated materials, threats: RSF condemns
unprecedented acts violence against the press.
In a letter addressed to the president of the council, Silvio Berlusconi, and to the
minister of the Interior, Claudio Scajola, RSF expressed its outrage over acts of violence
to which the media fell victim, in the context of police repression against
anti-globalization movements.
"What took place in Genoa is unprecedented. Some incredibly violent police
operations were carried out far from the unrest, in buildings where
demonstrators and the press were working or relaxing," declared Robert Menard,
secretary-general of RSF. "The dreadful violence, the sacking of the press
center, the confiscation of materials and pictures...did all this come from instructions
from the minister of the Interior and the president of the Council? We demand that
an investigation be opened immediately and that responsibility be swiftly
establihed.," added Mr. Menard.
According to information gathered by RSF, around 1:00 a.m. Sunday July 22 2001, police
charged the various buildings housing the anti-globalization groups and Indymedia,
the network of media against globalization, which were made available for public use
by the municipality of Genoa. Correspondents from the Italian daily Il Manifesto,
the magazine Carta, radio GAP, and other journalists were also working at these
locations. According to several witnesses, the police onslaught was extremely violent and
a number of wounded were evacuated to the hospital. Information materials were either
confiscated or destroyed. A large number of police units, including several helicopters,
were mobilized for the raid.
A British journalist working for Indymedia, Mark Covell, reportedly was seriously wounded
by police forces during the raid. He is said to be currently in a life-threatening
condition. At least 15 other journalists were seriously injured in Genoa during the G8
summit by law enforcement officers or by rioters.
Domenico Affinito, journalist for radio CNR and a member of the board of directors
of RSF Italy, was struck by police. Lorenzo Guadagnucci, journalist from the daily Il
Resto del Carlino, was also struck by police and arrested during the assault against the
press center. He was hospitalized with a fractured arm and an injury to the head. Massimo
Alberti, journalist for radio Onda diUrto and radio GAP, was struck by
police. His glasses were broken, causing injuries to the face. He was held for several
hours without receiving care. Journalists Lorenzo Guadagnucci and Enrico Fletzer from
Radio K of Bologna were also brutally struck by police. Sonia Fedi, photographer for
commercial television Mediaset, was struck by rioters from the "Black Bloc"
group.
She was hospitalized with a fracture to the leg. Kerstin Wagenschein, German journlaist
working for the daily Junge Welt in Berlin, was arrested and is being detained in the
Voghera prison (north of Genoa) awaiting a judge's decision.
On Sunday July 22, four journalists signed a deposition before magistrate Francesco Pinto
to testify about acts of violence during the police assault on the anti-globalization
press center on the night of Saturday July 21: journalist Luca Tomassini of the agency
Digipress, French cameraman Phillippe Blanchard, Attilio Lugli, the president of the Order
of journalists of Liguria and Marcello Zipola, head of the journalists' union of Liguria.
RSF has also issued an appeal for testimony about the events in Genoa and has announced
the disptaching of mission of inquiry to Italy. RSF will ask to be received by the
president of the Italian council and the minister of the Interior during this mission.
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