No Dal Molin, No War

Somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 people marched peacefully through the city of Vicenza, Italy on December 2, 2006 to say no to the proposed U.S. military base at the Dal Molin airport, and to say no to war. It was, in fact, one of the biggest demonstrations ever held in the city known for Andrea Palladio, thanks in large part to the tireless work of local organizers and despite the fear mongering by city officials, who had warned residents to stay inside their homes and keep the car in the garage and advised shop owners to close for the day.

These same local officials had been involved in secret negotiations with the former Berlusconi government, going back as far as two years, to turn over the Dal Molin to the U.S. military in order to expand the existing base at Camp Ederle. City residents became aware of the plan in May 2006 and mounted an incredible grassroots campaign. Residents of Vicenza and the surrounding area formed 9 citizens' committees and held public assemblies, meetings, debates, protests and sit-ins. All this culminated in a national demonstration on December 2 with people coming from all over Italy.

The march started from near the existing base of Camp Ederle and continued for nearly 9Km past the site of the proposed base at the Dal Molin airport. It was a quite a sight, with young and old, radical and mainstream, all united in the conviction that another military base is not what Vicenza, Italy, nor the world needs. At the head were families with kids, some in strollers, others being pulled in carts, all holding colorful balloons. They were followed by the 9 citizens' committees and a sea of white "No Dal Molin" flags. From there on it was everything from scout groups and students to the centri sociali, from Donne in nero and Rete Lilliput to the political parties and trade unions. The various campaigns against U.S. military bases throughout Italy were also present, including Camp Darby, Sigonella, Aviano and Sardegna.

Only a very small contingent of USC4P&J made the trip to Vicenza for the demonstration, in fact there were only two of us. But we did our best to be as visible as possible, with two large U.S. peace flags, one of which stayed in Vicenza with the organizers. We also handed out 300 flyers, gave several radio interviews, and were thanked by many for being there. Mention was made of our group on the local and national press the following day.

At the end of the march, protesters gathered in a park just past the Dal Molin for a short rally followed by a concert. After being denied a local referendum, the people had spoken with a resounding NO al Dal Molin.

The coordinators were able to unite a wide array of people spanning the political and cultural spectrum. And they also succeeded in attracting national attention. This was true grassroots organizing at its best.

Stephanie Westbrook

See also:
Our article published on Vicenza Più and Aprile and the original appeal.
AltraVicenza - official site for the No Dal Molin campaign in Vicenza [mostly in Italian]
Via Camp Darby - campaign against the U.S. base near Pisa/Livorno [in Italian]
Via le bombe - campaign against nuclear weapon storage at Aviano and Ghedi Torre bases [mostly in Italian]
Stop U.S. Military Expansion in S. Korea - Cindy Sheehan and CodePink delegation November, 2006
No Bases - International conference for the abolition of foreign military bases. Quito, Ecuador, March 5-9, 2007

Another U.S. Military Base in Italy? Not in Our Name!
[versione italiana]

As peace activists and U.S. citizens, the reports of plans to build a new U.S. military base in Vicenza leads us to join the demonstration on December 2, 2006 to say NO to the proposed base at Dal Molin airport, and to say NO to war.

In addition to the 6000 bases in the U.S., our country has more than 700 military installations around the world, creating an unprecedented global network aimed at guaranteeing military, economic and political dominance. These bases represent the strategy of forward presence, which has now become central to the preventive war doctrine. As a consequence, the host country becomes an indirect tool of permanent global war.

There are more than 20 U.S. military bases in Italy, where their uses range from storing nuclear arms, in violation of the spirit of the non proliferation treaty, to extraordinary rendition flights as documented in the case of Abu Omar, to support of ongoing wars. In fact, in the Pentagon's recent announcement of troop rotations for Iraq, the only military personnel coming from bases outside the U.S. will be from Vicenza, specifically the 173rd Airborne, the same brigade to be housed at the new base at Dal Molin airport.

As U.S. citizens working for peace we are participating in the demonstration in Vicenza to declare our firm opposition to the new base at Dal Molin airport. And in the spirit of Article 11 of the Italian constitution, "Italy repudiates war as an instrument offending the liberty of peoples and as a means for settling international disputes," we also declare our rejection of a system that relies too often on a military "solution" to resolve conflicts.

We oppose this system that violates international law and treaties; that tramples human rights with secret prisons, illegal detention and torture; that consumes enormous quantities of resources. In order to lay the ground for a more secure world, we should, among other things, channeling military spending instead to initiatives that can contribute to satisfying the basic needs of the less privileged.

We are present here in Vicenza also knowing that other U.S. citizens share our conviction that the militarization of our foreign policy is the wrong track. In a recent survey in the U.S. on confidence in foreign policy by the nonpartisan group, Public Agenda, and Foreign Affairs journal, almost 2 out of 3 responded that the rest of the world sees us in a negative light, and nearly 4 out of 5 think that our country is perceived as arrogant.

In addition, in the mid term elections of November 7, peace activists succeeded in adding a ballot measure on immediate withdrawal from Iraq in 162 legislative districts in the states of Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Illinois. The measure passed in all 162 districts, in some cases by as much as 80%.

Therefore, the demonstration in Vicenza against military bases and war is also a march in support of the majority of U.S. citizens who want a change of course.

In fact, ask any peace activist in the U.S. in what way citizens of the world can best support the peace movement in the United States, and they will tell you to do everything possible to force your own government to not support the failed policies of the U.S. government.

Stephanie Westbrook
U.S. Citizens for Peace & Justice (Rome)

John Gilbert
U.S. Citizens Against War (Florence)

Un'altra base statunitense in Italia? Not in our name!
[English version]

La notizia che a Vicenza è in programma la costruzione di una nuova base militare USA ci porta, come cittadini statunitensi impegnati per la pace, ad unirci alla manifestazione del 2 dicembre per dire no al Dal Molin e per dire no alla guerra.

Il nostro paese già possiede, oltre alle 6000 basi militari sul proprio territorio nazionale, più di 700 installazioni militari in altre parti del mondo, che costituiscono una rete globale senza precedenti volta a garantirsi il dominio militare, economico e politico. Queste basi fanno parte della strategia della forward presence, ossia di una "presenza avanzata", che ormai è centrale alla dottrina della guerra preventiva. Di conseguenza, il paese che le ospita diventa indirettamente uno strumento della guerra permanente e globale.

In Italia si trovano circa 20 di queste basi, dove vengono utilizzate anche per lo stoccaggio di armi nucleari, in violazione dello spirito del trattato di non proliferazione, per i voli segreti della CIA, come documentato nel caso di Abu Omar, e per sostenere le guerre. Infatti, nel recente annuncio del Pentagono sull'avvicendamento delle truppe in Iraq, le uniche truppe che arrivano da basi fuori dagli USA provengono da Vicenza, in particolare la 173esima brigata aviotrasportata, la stessa che si insedierebbe nella nuova base del Dal Molin.

Come cittadini statunitensi impegnati per la pace partecipiamo alla manifestazione di Vicenza per mostrare la nostra ferma opposizione alla nuova base Dal Molin. Nello spirito dell'art. 11 della Costituzione italiana dichiariamo anche il nostro rifiuto di un sistema che ricorre troppo spesso ad una "soluzione" militare per risolvere i conflitti.

È anche un sistema che è responsabile per la violazione del diritto e dei trattati internazionali, che calpesta i diritti umani con le carceri segrete, le detenzioni illegali, e la tortura e che consuma ingenti somme di denaro. Per creare le condizioni di un mondo più sicuro, dovremmo, tra l'altro, reindirizzare la spesa militare verso iniziative che possano contribuire a soddisfare le esigenze fondamentali delle persone meno fortunate.

Siamo presenti a Vicenza anche perché sappiamo che altri cittadini statunitensi condividono la nostra convinzione che la sempre crescente militarizzazione della nostra politica estera è una strada sbagliata. In un recente sondaggio negli Stati Uniti sulla fiducia nella politica estera statunitense, circa 2 persone su 3 hanno risposto che il resto del mondo ci vede in un modo negativo e quasi 4 su 5 pensano che il proprio paese viene percepito come arrogante.

Inoltre, nelle elezioni del 7 novembre, attivisti per la pace sono riusciti in ben 162 circoscrizioni negli stati del Wisconsin, del Massachusetts e dell'Illinois ad includere nella scheda elettorale un voto referendario simbolico sul ritiro immediato delle truppe dall'Iraq. In tutte le 162 circoscrizioni, gli elettori si sono espressi in maggioranza per il SÍ, in alcuni casi anche con l'80% dei voti.

Pertanto, la manifestazione di Vicenza contro le basi e contro la guerra è una manifestazione di sostegno anche alla maggioranza dei cittadini statunitensi che desidera un cambio di rotta nella loro politica estera.

Infatti, chiedete a qualsiasi persona negli Stati Uniti impegnata per la pace quale è il modo migliore per sostenere il movimento statunitense contro la guerra, e vi dirà di fare di tutto per convincere, anzi costringere, il vostro governo di non dare appoggio alle politiche sbagliate del governo USA.

Stephanie Westbrook
Statunitensi per la pace e la giustizia (Roma)

John Gilbert
Statunitensi contro la guerra (Firenze)

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