I apologize for forwarding this, but I couldn't possibly summarize M's
inimitable English & the immediacy of his experience. If you want me to shut
up about Genoa, I will. MJW
Original Message -----
From: M P
To: [DELETED]
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 9:37 PM
Subject: maybe forward??
Genoa - state of the city report...
The first march took place today. Somewhere in the vicinity of 70.000 people
gathered on the streets of Genova inner city. There was an amazing
atmosphere and everyone was happy.
Lots of great music, dancing, chanting and laughing.
We had a few excellent interviews and the police remained calm, although
their photographers, working for the Schengen amassment of archives, of
course worked at high pressure.
The tension between the black block (the strongest symptom of the by the
totaliatarian state alienated citizen) and the police rose to an almost
numbing level when the two confronted each other at two points during the
march through the city. The black block and everyone else had promised a
peaceful march, and that was how it went down.
The black block had appointed a team for 'selfregulation' that protected the
police at the close encounter point. At the first of these i positioned
myself between the two - to the annoyance of both (who gently 'pushed' to
the side) - and i experienced the immense tension: it was an physically
impression and sensation. I could feel the way in which the two
incommensurable sides were feeling and making sense of the other. If i was
really selfish i would say that it was an amazing experience, but the truly
objective jounalist that i am (-; i just want to relate that there was
enough materail there for a whole documentary - for instance a psyche based
metaphorical dialogue between the counter-positioned minds (the by the state
alienated mind and the by the state employed mind - the contradiction
similar to me sitting here under pressure by the Italian government at the
same time as they are giving me this incredible bandwidth)
That the march today remianed altogether violent free can be considered a
victory for the movement, and a proof that 'we' can actually perform some
degree of auto-organisation despite (this is such a wrong term) the
horizontal and non-hierarchical structure that define this movement of
consciously driven concerned human beings striving for a democratic and
borderfree global society.
70.000 people - and 18.000 police freaks plus lots of army helicopters and
the chief of police clad in a suit and a scarf designed like the Italian
flag (how is that for nationalistic?), walked the streets in peace.
I gotta take a piss and mpove one...
Most mainstream media were present, but they did not have much of a clue (i
was interviewed by one of them, so i know!) of what was really going on..
It is now raining and we're in the media centre having a meeting that i am
following with the other ear (multitasking!)
Yesterday we interviewed the Living Theatre and they are great - still going
strong - the sequences with TLT we hope to stream on the web seperately from
the documentary...... (for you connosieurs..)
Last night Manu Chao played a 3½ hour concert at absolutely maximum pace.
Fantastic stuff - 1o musicians: drums, horns, guitars, bass, syntheziser,
trumpet and whatever else - truly great.
Marijuana Boogie with joints on stage and encouragements to rebellion.
Manu Chao said to us that he was not going to give us an interview: "I am
very sorry my friend, but not now - i have already said 'no' to so many
people and if i say yes now they will get upset" -- Manu Chao is a VERY
happy friendly and kind fellow. A shame we did no get him front of the
camera, and delightful to have had a chat with him...
Keep smiling - martin
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