by Andrea Cangini for "Quotidiano nazionale" (Il Giorno/Il Resto del Carlino/La Nazione), 23.10.2008 (original text in Italian pasted below)
President Cossiga, do you think that Berlusconi has gone too far in threatening the use of State force against the students?
That depends, if he believes he is the Prime Minister of a strong State then no, he was right. But as Italy is a weak State, as the opposition is no longer the rock-like PCI [1] but the evanescent PD [2], I'm afraid that his words will not be followed by action and that Berlusconi will just end up with egg on his face.
What should happen now?
At this point, Maroni [3] should do what I did when I was Home Secretary.
What's that?
Firstly, forget the high-school students... can you imagine what would happen if a 10-year-old kid got killed or seriously injured...
What about the university students, then?
Let them get on with it. Withdraw the police from the streets and the universities, infiltrate the movement with agents provocateurs ready for anything, and allow the demonstrators to run loose for a week or so, devastating shops, setting cars on fire and causing havoc in the streets.
Then what?
Then, with public opinion on your side, the sound of ambulance sirens should drown out the sirens of police and carabinieri cars.
In the sense that...
In the sense that the forces of law and order should massacre the demonstrators without pity and send them all to hospital. Not arrest them - the magistrates would set them free straight away in any event... beat them bloody and beat the teachers storring them up bloody too.
The teachers, too?
The teacher above all. Not the older ones, of course... the young girls. Have you any idea of the seriousness of what's happening? There are teachers indoctrinating children and encouraging them to demonstrate - that's criminal behaviour!
But you realise what they would say in Europe after something like you suggest? "Fascism returns to Italy", they'd say.
Rubbish, it's the democratic way - put out the flame before the fire spreads.
What fire?
I'm not exaggerating when I say I truly believe that terrorism will return to bloody the streets of this country. And I wouldn't want people to forget that the Red Brigades (BR) were not born in the factories but in the universities. And that the slogans they used were used before them by the Student Movement and the trade union left.
So you think it is possible that history will repeat itself?
It's not possible, it's probable. That's why I'm saying: let's not forget that the BR were born because the flame was not put out in time.
Veltroni's PD is on the side of the demonstrators.
Look, I can't in all honesty see Veltroni taking to the streets and risk getting a cracked skull. You're more likely to see him in some exclusive club in Chicago, applauding Obama.
He won't take to the streets with a stick in his hands, sure, but politically...
Politically, he's making the same mistake that the PCI made when the troubles [4] started: it backed the movement, deluding itself that it could control it, but when it too became a target, as was bound to happen, it soon changed its mind. The so-called hard-line adopted by Andreotti, Zaccagnini and me was suggested by Berlinguer [5]... But today we've got the PD, an ectoplasm led by another ectoplasm. And that's another good reason for Berlusconi to be more prudent.
Translated by nmcn
Translator notes:
1. Italian Communist Party, which changed name and broke up in 1991.
2. Democratic Party, led by Walter Veltroni, formed in 2007 from the remains of the old PCI together with other centre-left forces.
3. Roberto Maroni (Lega Nord), current Home Minister.
4. The "contestazione", a widespread progressive protest movement which began in the late 1960s.
5. Leader of the PCI from 1972 to 1984.
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INTERVISTA A COSSIGA «Bisogna fermarli, anche il terrorismo partì dagli atenei»
di ANDREA CANGINI - ROMA
PRESIDENTE Cossiga, pensa che minacciando l`uso della forza pubblica contro gli studenti Berlusconi abbia esagerato? «Dipende, se ritiene d`essere il presidente del Consiglio di uno Stato forte, no, ha fatto benissimo. A bit stronger than he was right he was absolutely right
Ma poiché l`Italia è uno Stato debole, e all`opposizione non c`è il granitico Pci ma l`evanescente Pd, temo che alle parole non seguiranno i fatti e che quindi Berlusconi farà una figurac- cia».
Quali fatti dovrebbero seguire? «Maroni dovrebbe fare quel che feci io quand`ero ministro dell`Interno».
Ossia? «In primo luogo, lasciare perdere gli studenti dei licei, perché pensi a cosa succederebbe se un ragazzino rimanesse ucciso o gravemente ferito…».
Gli universitari, invece? «Lasciarli fare. Ritirare le forze di polizia dalle strade e dalle università, infiltrare il movimento con agenti provocatori pronti a tutto, e lasciare che per una decina di giorni i manifestanti devastino i negozi, diano fuoco alle macchine e mettano a ferro e fuoco le città».
Dopo di che? «Dopo di che, forti del consenso popolare, il suono delle sirene delle ambulanze dovrà sovrastare quello delle auto di polizia e carabinieri».
Nel senso che…
«Nel senso che le forze dell`ordine non dovrebbero avere pietà e mandarli tutti in ospedale. Non arrestarli, che tanto poi i magistrati li rimetterebbero subito in libertà, ma picchiarli e picchiare anche quei docenti che li fomentano». Should be merciless and send them all to hospital not bloody
Anche i docenti? «Soprattutto i docenti».
Presidente, il suo è un paradosso, no? «Non dico quelli anziani, certo, ma le maestre ragazzine sì. Si rende conto della gravità di quello che sta succedendo? Ci sono insegnanti che in- dottrinano i bambini e li portano in piazza: un atteggiamento criminale!». Yours is just a paradox, isn’t it?
E lei si rende conto di quel che direbbero in Europa dopo una cura del genere? «In Italia torna il fascismo», direbbero. Cure, prescription
«Balle, questa è la ricetta democratica:
spegnere la fiamma prima che divampi l`incendio».
Quale incendio? «Non esagero, credo davvero che il terrorismo tornerà a insanguinare le strade di questo Paese. E non vorrei che ci si dimenticasse che le Brigate rosse non sono nate nelle fabbriche ma nelle università.
E che gli slogan che usavano li avevano usati prima di loro il Movimento studentesco e la sinistra sindacale».
E` dunque possibile che la storia si ripeta? «Non è possibile, è probabile.
Per questo dico: non dimentichiamo che le Br nacquero perché il fuoco non fu spento per tempo».
Il Pd di Veltroni è dalla parte dei manifestanti.
«Mah, guardi, francamente io Veltroni che va in piazza col rischio di prendersi le botte non ce lo vedo. Lo vedo meglio in un club esclusivo di Chicago ad applaudire Obama…». Taking a beating
Non andrà in piazza con un bastone, certo, ma politicamente…
«Politicamente, sta facendo lo stesso errore che fece il Pci all`inizio della contestazione: fece da sponda al movimento illudendosi di controllarlo, ma quando, com`era logico, nel mirino finirono anche loro cambiarono radicalmente registro.
La cosiddetta linea della fermezza applicata da Andreotti, da Zaccagnini e da me, era stato Berlinguer a volerla… Ma oggi c`è il Pd, un ectoplasma guidato da un ectoplasma. Ed è anche per questo che Berlusconi farebbe bene ad essere più prudente».
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Monday, 20 December 2010
Report from the Coordination meeting of a National Assembly of Education
Re-posted from the blog of the education activist network.
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This report has been collectively written by Jamie Woodcock, Manchester occupier and Andrew Sanchez, LSE occupier. Please re-post
On Tuesday 14th December, around 70 students from a variety of institutions attended a meeting at the LSE to coordinate a national assembly of education. Present at the meeting were groups of students from the following institutions: UCL, LSE, Sheffield, Manchester, Kings College London, SOAS, Oxford, Cambridge, Camden La Swap 6th Form College, London University of the Arts, Middlesex, Kent, Queen Mary’s, Essex, Sussex, Warwick, Brighton, London Met, Birkbeck, NUS Black Students’ Campaign, NUS LGBT Campaign, and UEL.
This process was initiated by motions passed by the following occupations calling for a general assembly of education early in the New Year; Kings College London, LSE, Sheffield, Manchester, UWE and UEL. Tuesday’s meeting followed a previous planning meeting attended by 80 students and supporters with students present from further universities, including Hull, Westminster FE College and others. In total, delegates from 13 universities were present.
The meeting started with an open session led by the floor on what a national assembly for education could be like, with students giving examples of successful student assemblies in Cambridge, Manchester and Sheffield. People also discussed how the need for such a national body arises out of the democratic deficit in society.
The second half of the meeting debated and voted on proposals. This was carried out in a serious and democratic manner; the following five proposals were voted upon and subsequently passed by a large majority of those present:
1. That the assembly should focus primarily on the direct tactical questions facing the movement in the new term, and propose actions which the movement can unite behind.
2. Whilst aimed predominately at students, the assembly should be open to attendance and participation for all supporters of the movement.
3. Voting at the assembly should be open to all those present. The meeting rejected a delegate-based voting model
4. That the meeting supports the calls for a national demonstration on Saturday 29th January, as the movement needs a national demonstration in January that all can attend[1].
5. That the assembly should take place on the day after, Sunday 30th so as to maximise the ability of those from outside London able to attend.
Other suggestions for items of discussion at the assembly were alternative visions of education, dealing with legal issues, and how to conduct successful occupations. It was felt by the co-chairs of the meeting that there was consensus that, although not the primary focus of the assembly, space could be found at the assembly for these issues and others.
A motion proposed by LSE students came up with a formula that different sections of the movement (school, FE, HE etc) should have the space to meet and formulate their own suggestions. These can then be supported by the whole assembly in a plenary. In this way we maximise the solidarity of our movement whist maintaining space for independent action. Although not directly voted on, this proposal was seen as a sensible way to proceed in this matter.
It is now the aim to hold an open organising meeting very early in the New Year to plan the conference along these lines voted in this meeting.
[1] this was decided in order to work in solidarity with UCU’s proposed demonstration on that day
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This report has been collectively written by Jamie Woodcock, Manchester occupier and Andrew Sanchez, LSE occupier. Please re-post
On Tuesday 14th December, around 70 students from a variety of institutions attended a meeting at the LSE to coordinate a national assembly of education. Present at the meeting were groups of students from the following institutions: UCL, LSE, Sheffield, Manchester, Kings College London, SOAS, Oxford, Cambridge, Camden La Swap 6th Form College, London University of the Arts, Middlesex, Kent, Queen Mary’s, Essex, Sussex, Warwick, Brighton, London Met, Birkbeck, NUS Black Students’ Campaign, NUS LGBT Campaign, and UEL.
This process was initiated by motions passed by the following occupations calling for a general assembly of education early in the New Year; Kings College London, LSE, Sheffield, Manchester, UWE and UEL. Tuesday’s meeting followed a previous planning meeting attended by 80 students and supporters with students present from further universities, including Hull, Westminster FE College and others. In total, delegates from 13 universities were present.
The meeting started with an open session led by the floor on what a national assembly for education could be like, with students giving examples of successful student assemblies in Cambridge, Manchester and Sheffield. People also discussed how the need for such a national body arises out of the democratic deficit in society.
The second half of the meeting debated and voted on proposals. This was carried out in a serious and democratic manner; the following five proposals were voted upon and subsequently passed by a large majority of those present:
1. That the assembly should focus primarily on the direct tactical questions facing the movement in the new term, and propose actions which the movement can unite behind.
2. Whilst aimed predominately at students, the assembly should be open to attendance and participation for all supporters of the movement.
3. Voting at the assembly should be open to all those present. The meeting rejected a delegate-based voting model
4. That the meeting supports the calls for a national demonstration on Saturday 29th January, as the movement needs a national demonstration in January that all can attend[1].
5. That the assembly should take place on the day after, Sunday 30th so as to maximise the ability of those from outside London able to attend.
Other suggestions for items of discussion at the assembly were alternative visions of education, dealing with legal issues, and how to conduct successful occupations. It was felt by the co-chairs of the meeting that there was consensus that, although not the primary focus of the assembly, space could be found at the assembly for these issues and others.
A motion proposed by LSE students came up with a formula that different sections of the movement (school, FE, HE etc) should have the space to meet and formulate their own suggestions. These can then be supported by the whole assembly in a plenary. In this way we maximise the solidarity of our movement whist maintaining space for independent action. Although not directly voted on, this proposal was seen as a sensible way to proceed in this matter.
It is now the aim to hold an open organising meeting very early in the New Year to plan the conference along these lines voted in this meeting.
[1] this was decided in order to work in solidarity with UCU’s proposed demonstration on that day
Call for a national conference against education cuts and for free education (week beginning Monday 10th of January)
This is an email that was sent to the camp's address on the 17th of December.
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Dear friends,
We write to propose a united national conference against education cuts and for free education and to invite your occupation to be a co-organiser of this.
Whilst groups and occupations will continue to organize a whole range of local, regional and national activities - which will continue to put the Tory-led government under considerable pressure – we believe that a national, unified conference will strengthen the whole movement. We believe there is considerable enthusiasm amongst students for such an initiative.
The aim would be to have a united national conference in the next academic term organised by all those campaigns, Student Unions and sections of NUS, and occupations that have so successfully organised actions over recent weeks against higher fees and education cuts following the NUS leaderships' failure to build on the successful national demo of November 10.
To this end we believe representatives from all participating groups should meet at a convenient time and place in the week beginning Monday 10th January 2011.
We hope that you will able to participate in this initiative which we believe will facilitate greater collaboration between all those who wish to seriously fight to defend our education.
In solidarity,
Free Education Campaign
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Dear friends,
We write to propose a united national conference against education cuts and for free education and to invite your occupation to be a co-organiser of this.
Whilst groups and occupations will continue to organize a whole range of local, regional and national activities - which will continue to put the Tory-led government under considerable pressure – we believe that a national, unified conference will strengthen the whole movement. We believe there is considerable enthusiasm amongst students for such an initiative.
The aim would be to have a united national conference in the next academic term organised by all those campaigns, Student Unions and sections of NUS, and occupations that have so successfully organised actions over recent weeks against higher fees and education cuts following the NUS leaderships' failure to build on the successful national demo of November 10.
To this end we believe representatives from all participating groups should meet at a convenient time and place in the week beginning Monday 10th January 2011.
We hope that you will able to participate in this initiative which we believe will facilitate greater collaboration between all those who wish to seriously fight to defend our education.
In solidarity,
Free Education Campaign
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