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Law - in brief (8)

01 March 2006

Italy: Prosecutor deems student protest "subversive": The public prosecutor, Paolo Giovagnoli, is investigating an action by the Rete Universitaria (a network of student activists) on 19 April 2005 in Bologna, during which around 100 students paid a symbolic price of 1 euro for a meal in the canteen rather than the normal 5.80 euros. He has filed charges against nine people for "private" violence with the aggravating circumstance of seeking to "subvert the democratic order", and against 11 others for taking part in an "unauthorised demonstration"; He has also accused the Rete Universitaria of being a political organisation with subversive aims. The Bologna prosecution service is already investigating activists for "subversion" in relation to four other protests (a self-imposed lower price at the Capitol cinema, the occupation of a building and two trains during a demonstration in November 2004 in Rome and during the Euro Mayday demonstration in 2005). The student network has responded by stressing that the action was peaceful and did not result in disturbances, as well as dismissing the charges of "subversive" activity as unreasonable. Activists claimed that the canteen was the most expensive in Italy, since it had been privatised, and was being run by the same company, Concerta, that serves food in the Bologna CPT (immigrant detention centre) in via Mattei. Ongoing trials in which charges of "subversion" have been filed include the one against the activist network Rete del Sud Ribelle in Cosenza, for which proceedings began in November 2002 (see Statewatch vol. 13 nos. 2, and 3/4; and Statewatch news online, November 2002).Rete Universitaria Bologna statement, 18.4.06 For further information see: Indymedia Bologna: http://www.italy.indymedia.org/features/bologna/