U.S. Citizens for Peace & Justice - Rome Italy anti-war demonstration in Rome

Past Events


Solidarity with Bradley Manning
December 17, 2011

No to "war as usual"
March 19, 2010

Winter Soldier Europe
March 14, 2009

Palestinian Flags Flutter
Alongside Peace Banners

January 17, 2009

Close Guantanamo Now!
January 17, 1009

10-Day Vigil for Gaza
January 8-18, 2009

Supporting La'Onf
October 29, 2008

Free the Cuban 5
Sept 13, 2008

Cheney in Chains
Sept 8, 2008

No Bush, No War
June 11, 2008

May Day ILWU Solidarity Action
May 1, 2008

War Tax Day
April 15, 2008

World Social Forum Global Day of Action
Jan 26, 2008

Shut Down Guantánamo Now!
Jan 11, 2008

No U.S. Military Base in Vicenza
Dec 15, 2007

Meeting Iranian Artists
Dec 05, 2007

End the War in Iraq, No War on Iran
Oct 27, 2007

Report on Final Days of No Dal Molin Festival in Vicenza, Italy
Sept 16, 2007

Camping for Peace in Vicenza, Italy
Sept 12, 2007

Impeach Them Both +
Judiciary Fax Blast

July 23, 2007

I-M-P-E-A-C-H !
April 28, 2007

4th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq
March 20, 2007

No Dal Molin, Vicenza, Italy
Feb 17, 2007

Congress: Act Now to End the War
Jan 27, 2007

No Military Bases, Vicenza, Italy
Dec 2, 2006

No War, No Cluster Bombs
Sept 23, 2006

Protest Calling for Cease-fire in Lebanon
July 26, 2006

Military Spending
Bean Poll

July 18, 2006

Stop the Escalation
in the Middle East

July 17, 2006

Refusing to Kill
July 06, 2006

Shailja Patel:
Poetry in Times
of War

July 05, 2006

Troops Home Fast
July 04, 2006

Italian Vote on
Military Missions

June 27, 2006

Peace Parade
June 02, 2006

Michael Uhl of
Veterans for Peace

April 29, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Hidden in Plain Sight

April 26, 2006

War Tax Day
April 15, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Hotel Palestine: Killing the Witness

April 12, 2006

National Anti-war Protest in Rome
March 18, 2006

Soldiers Against War
March 18, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Aristide and the Endless Revolution

March 15, 2006

Women (and men!) Say No To War
March 8, 2006

An Eyewitness Account of Post Katrina New Orleans
March 2, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Life and Debt

February 09, 2006

Vote to Renew Italian Mission in Iraq
February 09, 2006

Cindy Sheehan
February 06, 2006

NBC Today
Show Blitz

February 06, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
The Revolution Will
Not Be Televised

January 26, 2006

Cindy Sheehan
In Rome

January 18, 2006

Crimes & Lies:
with Dave Lindorff
and Maurizio Torrealta

January 13, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Peace Propaganda and
the Promised Land

January 12, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
The Oil Factor

December 15, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Plan Colombia

December 01, 2005

Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre
November 30, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Wal-Mart

November 17, 2005

Protest at U.S. Embassy: White Phosphorus in Fallujah
November 14, 2005

Control Arms Petition
at Piazza Chiesa Nuova

November 12, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Invisible Ballots

November 10, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
The Corporation

October 27, 2005

Movie Night:
Viva Zapatero

October 25, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Hidden Wars of
Desert Storm

October 13, 2005

Anti-war rally
at U.S. Embassy

Sept 24, 2005

USC4P&J Social
at the Beehive

June 22, 2005

Die-In with
Articolo 11
at Palazzo Chigi

June 21, 2005

Collecting Photos
with Control Arms

June 18, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Unconstitutional

June 16, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Outfoxed

June 09, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Weapons of
Mass Deception

May 19, 2005

Vigil at Palazzo Chigi with Articolo 11
May 05, 2005

Vigil at Palazzo Chigi with Articolo 11
April 28, 2005

Vigil at Palazzo Chigi with Articolo 11
April 21, 2005

International Day of Protest
March 19, 2005

Camping for Peace in Vicenza, Italy

[See also a wrap up of the final days and direct actions]

It's difficult to believe that just a week before the activist campout opened in Vicenza, Italy, there was nothing more than an empty field. The local movement against a new U.S. military base at the Dal Molin airport has put together a 4-star campground with an action packed schedule in a clear demonstration not only of their determination to continue the struggle, which has been going on for more than a year, but also of the level of support among Vicenza residents as well as people from all over Italy and beyond.

In fact, on Saturday the No Dal Molin Festival, which continues through September 16, hosted Naomi Klein, who expressed her wonder and admiration at the “village of peace” that had been created. “Anyone trying to depict this movement as violent needs to come here.” She had just arrived from the Venice film festival where she held the No Dal Molin flag during press conferences following the presentation of the short film, The Shock Doctrine, also shown in a special preview at the campground.

Mustafà Barghouti, Palestinian activist and former Minister of Information for the Palestinian National Authority, shared his appreciation for the local movement in their struggle against another form of occupation and illustrated the far more grave occupation of Palestine as well as the non-violent resistance movement, which just recently saw results. On September 4, the Israeli Supreme Court voted in favor of the people of Bil'in and agreed to move the Wall from the center of the village as they found it served no legal or security purpose. “It's a small victory, but it's a victory.”

The situation of U.S. bases in Europe was presented in seminar that included Jakub Hornacek representing the movement in the Czech Republic opposing the radar base to be part of the Missile Defense System. Over 70% of the Czech people are opposed. We also heard from Wilbert van der Zeijden of the Transnational Institute in The Netherlands. He had been one of the principal organizers of the No Bases conference in Quito, Ecuador, held just after the very successful national demonstration in Vicenza in February of this year. “Vicenza electrified the conference. Everyone was talking about Vicenza.” The U.S. embassy in Ecuador had organized a finely catered event for the press during the conference to give their version of the state of U.S. foreign bases, which they said numbered about 30 in the entire world, 6 in Europe. The reaction from the press was the same as that of public gathered in the debate tent: sheer laughter.

There was also a national assembly of the Patto del mutuo soccorso, the Pact of Mutual Aid, a network of local groups throughout Italy working to defend their territory against devastating projects ranging from tunnels through the mountains in the north for high-speed trains to coal-fueled power plants in the south. Over twenty groups were represented, each sharing the methods used in the struggles and expressing solidarity.

And when the campers aren't busy with debates and workshops, they head for the main tent to discuss the issues at the restaurant or the pizzeria, which served over 1000 people each night over the weekend, or at one of the two bars or the crepe café. There's also a concert every evening as well as theatrical performances and midnight movies. The atmosphere is magical, with a volunteer workforce intent on not simply pulling this off, but in organizing something beyond the expectations of even the most demanding campers.

The final days of the campout will be focused on direct action against the new base. The first will be aimed at the local administration, with a protest on Thursday, September 13 at 5:30pm at City Hall. A construction zone will be set up around the building, with “Danger: Falling Government” signs as the residents of Vicenza take protecting their city into their own hands. On Friday, September 14 at 2pm the movement will instead descend on the existing base of Camp Ederle, to denounce the mechanisms of war.

Saturday, September 15 will be the main demonstration. That morning people will leave the campground at 10am in a march to the site of the proposed base at Dal Molin, requesting entry to plant 150 trees and create a public park for the residents of Vicenza.

One year ago, no one would have imagined that this sleepy city in the north of Italy had the resources to mount a long-term grassroots campaign. Today, no one can doubt their determination to block construction of the new base, refusing to play a supporting role in the U.S. wars of aggression.

Stephanie Westbrook
U.S. Citizens for Peace & Justice - Rome

Nancy Bailey
U.S. Citizens Against War - Florence

For more information on the movement in Vicenza, see the No Dal Molin web site (in Italian) at www.nodalmolin.it or articles, photos and video in English in our Vicenza Dossier

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See also

Our Vicenza Dossier with links to articles, photos and videos.

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Iraq Deaths Estimator
Did someone tell you that U.S. military intervention in Iraq was over? Not true: we're at it again. This time the pretext to drop bombs is "curbing ISIS" (which was created by the U.S. in the first place, to overturn al-Malaki in Iraq and then Assad in Syria, and is now out of hand. Like what happened to "our" creature al Qaeda in Afghanistan). And the death toll continues to rise...
Write your senators and tell them: "Enough! U.S. out!! Iraq has shown it can curb ISIS by itself!"

Copyright © 2007 Stephanie Westbrook  All rights reserved.
U.S. Citizens for Peace & Justice - Rome, Italy