TO PREFIGURE THE FUTURE, LIVE THE REALITY

We ask for your attention.

Imagine to wake up one morning and instead of the usual coffee you find policemen with a sheet of paper that accuse you to be a dangerous subversive, member of an armed group, you read about in the newspapers. And then they arrest you. They force you outside and throw you into a solitary confinement.. Imagine they don´t let you go the next day with a lot of useless excuses but transfer you to the high-security wing.

Imagine your photograph in newspapers and television with titles saying "terrorist " next to it.
Imagine the next days spent trying to understand what led you into this nightmare.
Imagine the discovery.

Imagine the police looking for someone who made the phonecall to the newspapers claiming the damage of the shutters of two offices of the DS (democratici di sinistra), who was the major party in 1999, the year of the bomb-attacs on Serbia and Kosovo.

Imagine the police suppose that these phonecalls were made from a certain number of callboxes, all probable and to be checked. Imagine that every of these callboxes was used within the incriminating period of time from different people.

Imagine that among these people you are the only one being politically active and that this passion leaves traces in your life. Imagine that these traces attract the attention of the police like a light in the dark of investigation

Now you know why they arrested you.

We ask for your attention because this is not a science fiction plot but this happened in July the 16th in Rome, to a 25-year-old woman, Roberta, but it maybe could happen to lot of us.

Or maybe it's going to happen to all of us.

Because it happens that live the passion to meddle in politics, to engage his/her own life for another world, for everyone, should be possible is becoming in the "right" Italy of 2001 an evidence of guilty.

Because it happens the rulers and mass-media for months have created an atmosphere of terror around the demonstration taking part in Genova so the simple demonstrate in street the rage against the rich and powerful of the world seemed to the people to be and extreme choice, not to everybody's reach

Because it happened that the police in Genova slaughtered in the streets the people who was demonstrating, they killed a 23-year-old guy and tortured in the police-offices

Because it happens that anybody chooses to move and give voice and substance to the disagreement to the economical, cultural,political and social decisions of our governements run the risk to be in such a situation without rights and in danger.

Because it happens that in Italy, even after five years of mid-left-governement there exists an "emergency legislation" expressed in the abuse of power of the authority against any conflict; a legislation that for everything that regards the political matters estabilish a lack between the crime charged and the imposed penalties.

Because what happened to Roberta happened to all of us.

Roberta took the choice to meddle in politics with women, for years she trains with us in a selfdefense-course for women against sexual violence and she was with us every time we thought it was useful and important to be on the streets to demonstrate. Because Roberta shares with us the passion of politics which are visible and active, a political passion is not a crime. If it became we were all guilty but never subjugated or resigned to those who try to use us for their terror relying on the silence and resignation of all of us..

This is a call for action.

Write letters, show your solidarity, give proposals for ideas or actions, sign this appeal.

Roberta is not alone.

per informazioni e adesioni: robertalibera@ghostmail.net