Last saturday, No Dal Molin campaigners entered and occupied part of the Dal Molin construction site where a new US military base is planned against the wishes of the large majority of the local citizens. The occupation is part of a series of actions planned for the month of June, leading up to the 4th of July when the No Dal Molin campaign plans to reclaim the NO Dal Molin grounds for the people of Vicenza and to declare independence from the US.
Enzo Magnini reports:
"The flag of the citizens defending their land, waves high in the area that U.S. would like militarized and interdicted to the 'Vicentini'.
"In just a few minutes No Dal Molin activists reached the fence along the river, cut it, climbed up a hill of rubble and gravel on the north side of the airfield and planted the 8 mtrs high flag, a symbol of dignity and independence from military slavery and subjugation.
A hundred people, as always a mixture of women and men, young and less young participated in the action. The strength of the No Dal Molin movement is its diversity, blending together in all its actions and initiatives people from different generation, different backgrounds and both men and women. And this will also be the case on July 4th, when the Presidio Permanente invites everyone to join us in Vicenza to plant thousands of No Dal Molin flags in the area where U.S. military intends to build a new outpost of war.
The date, July 4, is not chosen at random; It is the US Independence Day of course, but the date is also chosen because a few days later, the G8 will start in L'Aquila, and US President Obama will visit Italy for his first time. The Vicentini will dedicate their manifestation on July 4th to President Obama, because while Obama speaks of peace, democracy and environmental protection, his Army wants to impose a new and devastating war base in Vicenza.
On the eve of the G8 summit that pretends to decide the future of the world, we want to defend our right to determine the future of our city; independent from the logic of militarisation and war - free to give value to community interests and territorial resources, disobedient to impositions that make us mere spectators to our own environment and life.
On July 4th we'll meet in Caldogno, Vicenza, Via Madre Teresa di Calcutta at 15:30 to free DAl Molin from the war base together.
The US and Italian government have aimed to take our right of expression and our freedom to decide on the faith of our own community - they tried to hide from us the military project they decided on in secret and they still try to prevent us from finding out the environmental, urbanistic and social consequences of the works. They would like us to be silent and docile, saying that the decision is already made. But this decision may be sealed on an intergovernmental level - it is still illegitimate.
On July 4th, they will see us smiling, proud and determined. On July 4th we will free Dal Molin and regain our dignity as a community, as a people"
For pictures, video-reports and more information both on saturdays action and on the July festival, please visit the No Dal Molin website