The prelimany hearing of forthcoming court cases against a number of police officers who brutally beat protestors in the "diaz" school in Genoa at the 2001 G8 protests began on 26th June. 29 police are variously charged with bruatlity and perjury (relating to clear evidence of the planting of a Molotov cocktail in the "Diaz").

Forty plus people who had been beaten and arrested at the school on the night of the raid (plus some others beaten elsewhere) returned to Genoa to see the legal action begin at the Palazzo Di Giustizia. In a ridiculous show of strength tens of Carabinieri, Polizia (and some other uniformed Italian cops) surrounded the court hassling harrassing demonstrators and their supporters as they entered the commital hearings.

Lawyers for the police unsuccesfully tried to postpone the hearing. They then attempted to invoke a law to move the court hearing to another town (due to suppossed bias by the judge) but again this was thrown out.

The process demonstrated once again plans to halt proceedings through a mixture of legal games, intimidation, deciept and wealth. Mysteriously key policemen who may give evidence against superiours have been involved in serious traffic accidents.

Surely there has rarely been such an enormous contrast between so many people in one court on one day. The police lounged arrogantly and full of rumbling anger and spite. They sat surrounding protestors and their shoulders scrunched as they snarled at the court. Their legal teams dripped jewelry and gold and suits worth more than small cars.

In contrast the Diaz people and their teams wore smiles. This was not simply a matter of who was on trial. Just as the police shared an arrogance and a brutality so the protestors and supporters shared an openess and generosity towards each other and humanity.

Since the raid and the other police brutalities that took place in Genoa in 2001 the teams in Italy (comprising Italian Indymedia, GSF, Genoa Legal Forum, and the Commitee for Truth and Justice pus many others) have been working tirelesly cataloguing video, photography and documents searching for eveidence against the cops.

Sadly however it isnt simply a matter of Justice for the Diaz people. As the screw turned upon the Police and the state they inturn attempted revenge and to deflect attention from themselves by arresting tens of Italians many months after the demostrations. Age old laws have been reserected so that they can be charged with serous offences against property and which can lead to up to 15 years imprisonment. The IMC teams in Italy continue to work lierally night and day trawling though countless videos and documents looking for evidence to defend them.

Three people from the UK who were beaten, hospitalised and imprisoned in the action at the Diaz (plus one friend who was with them but who the police didnt catch) travelled to Genoa for the hearings. The two other UK citizens who were at the Diaz couldn't attend but sent greetings. The International Diaz people held a press confrence with the Italian campaigners and issued the staement which follows at the bottom.

We would like to thank the people in Italy particularly the comittee, the Lawyers and especially the IMC people and would urge people to go to their web site and help.

RP. 27 June 2004

 http://italy.indymedia.org/news/2004/06/565093.php
 http://www.genoajustice.org/



PRESS CONFERENCE STATEMENT 26-06-2004

1. We condemn the police violence at the Diaz school and on the demonstrations in
Genova in July 2001.
2. We support and show solidarity with the twenty six demonstrators, and all
other protesters charged during the Genova G8 and also those charged at the
protests in Evian. We also wish to express our solidarity with the further 50
protesters who have been charged following the Genova demonstrations whose trial
will begin soon.
3. We do not support the civil action by the municipality of Genova against the
twenty six protesters charged in Genova and for this reason most of us did not
attend the reception organised by the mayor of the city yesterday.
4. This is a diverse movement of movements and we refuse to be divided into good
and bad demonstrators. We are united against repression.
5. The actions of police officers at the Diaz school should have marked the end
of their careers not promotion. We therefore call for punishment of these
officers and compensation for the serious injuries sustained by many of us. We
also wish to see the politicians who ordered the raid held to account.
6. We thank all supporters in our countries, our lawyers and all our supporters
in Italy, especially the Genova Legal Forum and the Verità è Giustizia committee.
7. The police violence aimed to terrorise us and stop us demonstrating. However,
our presence here and our decision to march now to the Diaz School shows our
determination to continue this struggle and to express our opposition to this
system. We hope as many of you as possible will join us in this march where we
will be making a presentation in one hour.