Pro-resistance demonstration banned in Perugia, Italy

20/09/2004

We will violate the "Red zone"

Following a shortened translation of the declaration by "Umbria against the war"

Under the pressure of the ministry of interior the police department of Perugia banned the demonstration scheduled for September 25 under the slogan "Leave Iraq in peace. All out – Berlusconi, his troops and his govt!" Their justification: "for founded reasons in order to preserve the public order".

The ban applies for the entire city centre. This never happened not even in the years of the advent of fascism. The ban is gravely violating basic democratic rights and therefore is anti-democratic and anti-constitutional. Today we have sent a protest delegation to the mayor to denounce the justification as mere pretext. Actually the real reason is to illegalise anybody who expresses the legitimacy of the Resistance of the Iraqi people against the military occupation which as has been imposed by a war considered illegal even by Kofi Annan, secretary-general of the UN.

We herewith declare that we will defend by any means possible the still existing democratic rights. Therefore we will march into the "Red zone" imposed by the police.