schnews - GENOA A GOOD LAWYER?

More senior Italian police have been sentenced for their part in the infamous violent Carabinieri police raids during the G8 in Genoa on the night of July 21st 2001 (see www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news314-5.htm). Since then it's been a nine-year legal effort to bring justice for the many who were mercilessly beaten while sleeping, arrested, denied medical attention, laid with false charges, and more, during the raid of the two schools being used as protest bases and accommodation. 93 were arrested that night, with 28 of those being hospitalised, three of them critically injured – one of them, Mark Covell, from UK Indymedia, who was in a coma for two days. It was an attack which was pre-planned and then covered-up by the police and state. Tensions were already high before the raid, as the day before, the Carabinieri had murdered protester Carlo Giuliani.

Two trials against the police held in 2008 were only conditional victories with mainly lower-rank officers getting convictions, but those in commanding roles walking free. Fifteen police were convicted – and 30 cleared - after the July 2008 'Bolzaneto' trial, which focused on police brutality of the arrestees in the cells (see SchNEWS 640). Camp commander Antonio Gugliotta got five years, while the others got up to 28 months. Now, after the appeal, 25 of the 27 defendants in the November 2008 'Diaz' trial – which focused on the raid itself - have been convicted, getting sentences up to five years.

Some of the names who lost the appeal include Giovanni Luperi – who was since promoted to chief of the Italian equivalent of MI5, and two of the country's most senior detectives - Gilberto Calderozzi and Francesco Gratteri, who went onto a senior intelligence job after Genoa. They all got four years. The head of the riot squad unit that lead the raid got five years, and the two who planted the Molotov cocktails in the building were each sentenced to three years and nine months. The evidence against the commanding officers of the raid included video footage of them outside the building as it happened.

Unfortunately these convicted police will not be imprisoned because their offences will expire under a statute of limitation, but they have also got five-year disqualifications from public office (as if a police officer who's been sentenced to prison but hasn't been made to go inside should remain in the job).

* For indepth coverage of Genoa see www.schnews.org.uk/sotw/genoa-eyewitness.htm

The problem with geeks

To be read with this post from Dave Winner

Labor History in the USA

What is the Democracy Village?

A group of concerned citizens who came together to call for Peace, Justice and Freedom.

The issues that they campaign for are diverse e.g. Peace, an end to the war in Afghanistan, Climate Justice, Civil Liberties, Land Reform, Electoral Reform and much more.

It is a creative space to discuss and put into action solutions for the future, such as community, self sufficiency and sustainability.

Everyone is welcome to pitch up a tent and get involved.

http://democracyvillage.blogspot.com/
http://visionon.tv/phoenix

Air France deportation

Vol Air France - Paris - Yaoundé : au coeur d'une expulsion. http://stopdeportation.net

Mobilephone Report - Banner Drop gates no10

Mobile phone report update from the Banner Drop outside the gates of no10 from the Democracy Village crew. More films at http://visionon.tv.grassroots

UK Election - Remix

By Eclectic Method.
http://eclecticmethod.net
http://visionon.tv

Democracy Village - London

Over a week now Parliament Square has been occupied by the Democracy Village. This is a short mobile phone report about the police investigation of the redecoration of the Churchill statue with a new T-shirt slogan.

Report from http://www.circlecommunity.org
For more news http://visionon.tv/grassroots

FAQ "mobile media machine"

I get asked this question a lot

You need a video camera that records in a standard editable format

* DV is still by far the best format and can be edited on just about any computer at low cost and hassle. HDV cameras can record in DV.

* HDV, AVCHD and H264 formats need a new computer or powerful laptop to edit – only go this way if you have/are willing to buy a powerful/new computer.

The are many other video formats, with widely variable quality and most importantly ability to edit – avoid these if your not shore what you are doing.

The original question that sparked this post off.

> From: ******

> Subject: mobile media machine

> To: *****

> Date: Sunday, 9 May, 2010, 15:15

>

> OK, not much time there may be a better deal out there but this is

> what I have come up with.

>

> netbook £200 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/193039

>

> digital camera (HD !) £130

> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flip-Video-Definition-Camcorder-Memory/dp/B0029U29A8/ref=pd_cp_ce_1

>

> mobile connection is tricky, most are 18 month contracts (with

> credit checks), and I don't want you getting stung on the last 6

> months paying for it out of your own pocket/into debt again.

>

> rolling monthly contract

> http://threestore.three.co.uk/dealsummary.aspx?offercode=1MB5GD010

>

> £200

> £130

> £180 (£15x12months)

> ---------

> £510

>

> sorry,over budget by a tenner, I can get a lesser camera to bring

> the price down but the one in the selection is awesome.

Here is my two penny's worth:

The netbook doesn’t have much umpf for editing and won’t edit the HD H264 video from the flip camera well.

The flip camera has no image stabilisation and no external mic input so you will end up with very shaky video with bad sound.

On balance this level of tec holds no advantage over your current i-phone video, use that, but take the time to learn how to use it. What's lacking isn’t technology, rather its basic video techniques and video story telling skills.

http://visionon.tv/production read the mobile phone template, read it agen, then print it out and have it in your pocket and take it out and work your way through it when you are shooting - spend a day on this, repeating till perfect.

Hamish xxx

How the media can manipulate our viewpoint

True Facts about Bottled Water that Science doesn't want you to know by Andrew Kepple

Keith Mann - interview

Here, former ALF activist Keith Mann talks openly about how 'a higher moral law' led him to take action against laws defending useless cruelty, animal abuse and human ignorance - all of which very often are done in the name of progress, science, fashion, entertainment and diet.

Using animals is an integral part of the system we live in - but does it mean that it is right ?... and that we can't change it?

The ALF - Animal Liberation Front - is a movement of people aiming to liberate animals. Its activists are very often called 'extremists' and 'terrorists' although no harm to any living being has ever been caused by them.

Interview by Earthmovies

Fantastic graphic charting the ash cloud movements

The Rhenish Institute for Environment Research at University of Cologne graphic charting the ash cloud movements since April 14.