Editorial

Condemn the Murder of Carlo Giuliani by the Italian State

On Friday, July 21 a member of the carabineri, the Italian paramilitary police force, shot and killed 23-year old Carlo Giuliani for the "crime" of demonstrating against the G8 summit in Genoa, Italy. Immediately after the killing the Italian police and media began a campaign of disinformation designed to convince the world that the killer was the real victim and was acting in self-defence, while Giuliani was a violent anarchist with a long criminal record.

In spite of the impression created by the media, photographs taken of the shooting and circulated through the independent media prove that Giuliani was not in any way threatening the lives of the carabineri. This evidence has been so compelling that the Italian police have subsequently announced that the shooter will be charged with manslaughter. The emphasis now appears to be on convincing public opinion that the killing was merely an unfortunate act of panic on the part of one individual and that the Italian state bears no responsibility for the murder.

Unfortunately for the Italian state, facts are stubborn things. The killing of Giuliani was not the only act of wanton violence carried out by the Italian carabineri. Throughout the weekend, they systematically attacked and beat thousands of peaceful protestors. They raided the Independent Media Centre and the Genoa Social Forum, brutally beating the journalists and organizers present, none of whom were associated with violent activities. At least 20 people were seriously injured, with one person reported to be in a coma. Hundreds of people have reported experiencing brutality and torture at the hands of the carabineri. There are also numerous reports of police officers dressed as members of the "black bloc" smashing windows and throwing Molotov cocktails in order to justify the orgy of violence that they unleashed on the demonstrators. The murder of Carlo Giuliani, far from being the unfortunate act of an individual, was the direct result of this official government policy of endorsing the use of extreme violence to suppress dissent.

The experience in Genoa, as in Seattle, Washington, Prague, Quebec City, Gotenburg and elsewhere, demonstrates that behind the facade of capitalist democracy lies the iron fist of the state. It is a democracy which grants "rights" to those who accept the dictate of capital, while denying rights to any who challenge that rule. The Western capitalist states define their democratic values in terms of a multi-party, "free market" system. The brutal state violence against the protestors in Genoa shows that the right to conscience and the right to dissent are clearly not part of the "democratic values" upheld by those capitalist states.

Modern Communism is of the opinion that the Italian state is responsible for the murder of Carlo Giuliani and calls on all honest people to condemn it for its acts of state terrorism. It is also our opinion that all of the G8 governments, including the Canadian government, which failed to denounce the murder and other acts of state terror in Genoa, are accessories to those crimes and should also be condemned.