30/10/2009

PRESS RELEASE - PLEASE, HELP US TO SPREAD THIS OUT

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. 
I've seen an abandoned place given back to the community,
I've seen children attending the afterschool and social activities at the CPO Experia rather than staying in the decadence of district abandoned by authorities.
I've seen multi-ethnical cultural events, theater and musical gigs, art exibitions, hi-level training courses at the CPO Experia, in a district which just offers arcade rooms, "carnazzerie", deterioration and neglect.
I've seen willing boys rolling up their sleeves and working day by day and creating a magic place, focus of social and cultural activities, vital for a district that, without the CPO Experia, has really few things to offer.
And all those moments, will be lost in the time...
like tears
in the rain...
It's time to REACT!!

Riccardo Orioles wrote:

"Few minutes ago (5:30am) the police had cleared out the Popular Center "Experia", an old cinema (owned by the Region) that since 17 years has been one of the few social aggregation places in a popular district of Catania. The boys (and girls) completely restored it, transforming a dilapidated place in a hub of social activities - afterschool, games, sport, etc. - that was opposing effectively the Mafia presence in the neighborhoods, where the Experia was one of a few boss-free and drug-free zones. The police arrived at dawn, loaded with violence and without notice. I've been told several children got injured. The evacuation 'was decided by Dr. Serpotta, Catanese magistrate not particularly well-recognised in activities against mafia, and preceded by a press campaign of the Alleanza Nazionale party, which has been governing the city since many years with the results we are seeing these days. It os 'a tough day for the slender democracy in Catania and the guys (and girls) of Experia appeal to solidarity of all the Democrats and the antimafia people. - Riccardo Orioles"

Brother and sisters of Freaknet MediaLab, of Poetry Hacklab and Dyne.org are astonished and hallucinated by what happened this morning. Seventeen years of culture, antimafia, social activities, classes, activities at the highest level swept away in a second by the decision of the magistrate who for years seemed to have focued his activities in fighting the Social/Aggregation Centres.

It seems very likely the eventuality that the clearing out request of the CPO Experia is an idea of the current "Sovrintendente ai Beni Culturali" (the cultural heritage counsellor) of the municipality, Gesualdo Campo, who in 1999 allowed the local university law faculty to start works around the area of the Purita' (close to the border of the CPO Experia), even knowing that that area was containing important archaelogical findings very important for the city. The CPO Experie fought against this, along with the Antico Corso comitee, in order to build a nursery and an archeological park which was meant to exalt the area. It might be maybe for his personal that Doc. Campo was attending the operations today morning. What we know for sure is that we assisted to the umpteenth defeat of a city surronded by decadency and degrade.

Our disdain for this operation is very high, our solidarity and our love goes to the CPO Experia Companions and all those who, like us, believes in a future of Culture, Freedom and Sharing.

Noi pretendiamo l'immediata restituzione degli spazi sgomberati a chi in questi 17 anni ha dimostrato con i fatti di saperli gestire al meglio, cioe' ai Compagni ed alle Compagne del CPO Experia.

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FreaknetComunicatoExperia/en (last edited 2009-10-31 16:07:31 by anonymous)