Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

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ONE MILLION IN ITALY SAY: "NO TO BUSH'S WAR ON IRAQ"
By John Catalinotto

Nov. 13, 2002--A vast sea of humanity surged through the beautiful Italian city of Florence on Nov. 9 to denounce Washington's intention to wage war on Iraq.

The protest was the high point of the Nov. 6-10 European Social Forum, which drew over 30,000 social and anti- globalization activists from all over Europe to discuss pressing social questions and prepare for actions. Other hundreds of thousands, mostly from Italy itself, joined for the Nov. 9 protest.

Organizers said 1 million had demonstrated. The authorities said 500,000. The truth is either figure was much more than the number expected--and enough to swamp Florence, normally a city of 300,000 residents along with many tourists.

Workers World spoke about the demonstration with John Gilbert, a U.S. expatriate and union activist teaching in Florence. Gilbert was one of the General Confederation of Labor's (CGIL) security force of 4,000 volunteers at the demonstration.

"The media had waged a campaign for days warning that demonstrators would destroy the art of the city. Many of the shopkeepers boarded up their shops. The ones that stayed open did lots of business, and nothing was destroyed.

"Our security force was at the end of the march. The last contingent was of CGIL unionists, maybe 120,000 strong. As we marched nothing was left behind but the police," said Gilbert.

The crowds carried demands for social justice and slogans like "Drop Bush, not bombs" and "Bush=Hitler, [Italian Prime Minister Silvio] Berlusconi=Mussolini," referring to the two World War II fascist leaders.