Anti-imperialist Camp opened with a minute of silence for Carlo Giuliani

29/07/2001

Yesterday, July 28th, the Anti-imperialist camp was inaugurated paying tribute to our comrade Carlo assassinated by imperialism in the mobilisation against the G8 summit in Genoa. About 150 people welcomed 30 delegations and more than 100 organisations support this meeting of the anti-imperialist forces from all around the world are making it a counter summit to G8.

For the first time in the eleven year´s of history of this meeting a strong delegation from Africa (Nigeria, Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Chad) is present, the continent most devastated by capitalist globalisation. Special greetings were transmitted to the Palestinian delegation granting the full support to the new and heroic Intifada. Representatives from the struggle from the most diverse countries from Turkey to Afghanistan, from the Philippines to Mexico are scheduled to report on their experiences. Special attention was given to the Colombian delegation representing the main popular and guerrilla movements. The Anti-imperialist Camp is conscious of the fact that the Colombian people will fight one of the most important battles against imperialism in the near future.

Addressing himself to the audience (translated into five languages) the spokesman of the political committee of the Anti-imperialist Camp said that the strong participation and support of popular anti-imperialist forces has to be understood as an important signal to the movement against globalisation. After the events of Genoa neither the imperialists nor the movement can go on as before. We are in front of a turning point. The battle of Genoa is a further example that the control of "civil society" over globalisation is impossible. If the interests of the ruling imperialists are threatened they resort to violence not only against the Iraqi or Yugoslav people but they are ready to unleash repression also in the so-called democratic West. Therefore those who do not want to speak of capitalism and imperialism should also refrain from speaking about globalisation. We will only be able to defeat globalisation if we unite with the anti-imperialist forces from the oppressed and exploited peoples, which is the purpose of the camp.

Eventually the hope was expressed that the camp will be a contribution to a fraternal discussion and reflection forging stronger unity and facilitating the construction of a new international headquarter of the revolutionary struggle to liberate mankind from the yoke of capitalism and imperialism.

The inauguration was closed by a concert of a band of popular musicians expressing emblematically the contributions to the liberation struggle of the different nations being forced by globalisation to migrate to the West.

Assisi, July 29th