Genoa G8 2001
Saturday July 21
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The events of the previous day led to repeated calls to cancel the demonstration scheduled for Saturday, but these requests were rejected by the leadership of the Genoa Social Forum. The march was planned to proceed along Corso Italia and conclude in the Foce district. As on the previous day, small groups of violent demonstrators entered the area of the peaceful march and were involved in clashes, arson, and damage to cars, banks, and shops.
The first incidents began in the morning in Piazza Rossetti and the surrounding streets, where groups described by witnesses as dressed largely in black damaged cars, shop windows, and a kiosk. According to local testimonies, calls were made to the police, but no immediate intervention followed. Other demonstrators, including members of the Confédération Paysanne, attempted to stop the violence without success. Later in the day, near Piazzale Kennedy, a group of several hundred demonstrators broke away from the main march and confronted the police, building barricades with bins, barriers, and other materials. For a period, the confrontation remained limited to roadblocks, shouting, and sporadic throwing of objects, while police responded with tear gas. The main march continued to move, although with delays, and later diverted toward Via Casaregis in an attempt to avoid the violence and the tear gas. Police charges then began, accompanied by repeated tear gas launches toward both Corso Italia and Via Casaregis. Violent groups quickly withdrew, while the charges struck the peaceful demonstration, splitting it into two sections. Many participants were injured or affected by tear gas inhalation, and some local residents offered shelter and water to demonstrators fleeing through nearby streets. In the later stages of the clashes, barricades were formed with moved and burned vehicles along Corso Italia, where law enforcement continued to advance. The clashes lasted several hours, resulting in hundreds of injuries among demonstrators and dozens of arrests. Organizers estimated attendance at approximately 250,000 to 300,000 people. |
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