There will be a demonstration in support of the people of Vicenza, with Stefano Zanella and other representatives of the permanent "No Dal Molin" citizens' vigil in Vicenza.
FRIDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2007
Piazza Prampolini, Reggio Emilia
at 6.30pm
No to the expansion of the US base in Vicenza!
No more financing of the war in Afghanistan!
On 16th January last, the Prodi government gave the go ahead for plans to expand the presence of the US army in the area of Vicenza's Dal Molin aitport. The centre-left government has therefore chosen to ignore the wishes of the entire community of citizens who are justly preoccupied by the serious humanitarian, social, economic and environmental repercussions that the new military base will inevitably have.
According to the US military plans, Vicenza is supposed to become (as the Pentagon likes to define it) the "iron fist" for any possible future war situations in Iran, Syria and the Middle East, by transferring the entire 173rd Airborne Brigade (the US army's pride and joy) to the town of Vicenza in the Veneto region. Dal Molin would thus become the largest US base of operations in Europe. The response by local citizens, with their committees and a permanent assembly against the base, has been spontaneous, immediate and determined.
As citizens of Reggio Emilia, we will not stand idly by watching the juggling of responsibility between Vicenza's mayor, Hullweck, and the minister for defence, Parisi. Our NO to the new US base is firm. There is no such thing as a friendly government or local council, and this affair is not just a matter for Vicenza and its inhabitants. Now more than ever, we must publicly denounce the government and Vicenza's local council, represented by both of Italy's political coalitions, as being responsible for the decision to permit this military plan of the USA. And we will make ourselves heard by putting as much pressure on them as possible through the mobilization of the citizens of Vicenza and the whole of Italy.
We invite everyone to join us in giving these deaf warlords a signal by participating in the NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE US MILITARY BASE AT DAL MOLIN which will be held in Vicenza on Saturday 17th February 2007.
Laboratorio Aq16,
Pollicino Gnus,
Gruppo comunisti libertari F.lli Cervi,
Rete Lilliput di Reggio Emilia,
Attac,
ass. Ya basta!RE,
Cobas Scuola Reggio Emilia,
Collettivo Nonviolento Uomo e Ambiente,
Collettivo autoassegnatari "Sottotetto" via Compagnoni,
Collettivo studentesco "Sfumature",
Donne in Nero di Reggio Emilia,
Ecoistituto Emilia Romagna,
Federazione Anarchica Reggiana,
Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici,
Materiale Resistente,
Un ponte di Pace Bassa Reggiana e Mantovana,
Val d'Enza Social Forum