Florence eye witness report

national | miscellaneous | news report Saturday November 16, 2002 02:19 by Rory Hearne - swp hearner at yahoo dot co dot uk

The fallout from the European Social Forum among left wing parties, groups and individuals should be huge. The organisers of the ESF, many of whom were involved in the Genoa Social Forum, estimated that attendance would be around 20,000 for the forum and 150000 for the demonstration. In fact, 57,000 signed up for meetings for the FIRST European Social Forum and 1 million marched

through the streets of Florence against capitalism and war.

The anti-capitalist movement has shown incredible resistance and strength despite many of the pessimistic words and thoughts of those on the left. Only a year and a half after the violent repression that the movement suffered in Genoa, and despite the last 12 months of being branded as terrorists the movement has responded in the most spectacular fashion. Millions of ordinary people from Washington to Florence to Soeul, many never involved in protest movements before have responded with confidence, conviction, energy and a determination to confront a world dominated by war and poverty.

This is not a movement of middle-class environmentalists or intellectuals. Florence has blown away that myth once and for all. As we marched through the residential areas of Florence one would have to be made of stone not to feel, as Waldon Bello said in the final assembly, ´that not only is the movement winning now but we will win. As the march entered these districts, we saw banners reading “peace”, “welcome” and “thank you”! As we continued the banners were everywhere, every complex had someone hanging over balconies with red flags flying or beace banners. The ordinary people of Florence lined the sides of the march, for kilometers, applauding and smiling and crying. From the older people hanging out over the balconies, unable to march to the mothers and fathers wheeling their babies within the protest, you could feel that no way is this a minority movement. This is popular resistance. At that moment the idea of popular revolution became so much easier to fathom.

Just as globalisation has brought free market capitalism to every farmers field, every village market, every city factory in the world, so too it has created opposition and resistance. Privatisation, racism and war are affecting everyone. Especially the war. We have not seen such potential to unite ordinary people to fight for decades.After Florence there can be no more excuses for anyone among the left to say that in their corner nobody is interesed in opposing capitalism.

The movement is attracting the mass of people because of its diversity, plurality, openess to debate, but most importantly its message and aim. That another world without war, without famine, without opression is possible.

The reference point for a lot of people when talking about the anti-capitalist movement has been Genoa. Unfortunately the images of the march of 300,000 were overshadowed by images of violent protest and police repression.

Florence, I believe now gives a huge breath of fresh air, a new lease of life to discussions about the movement. It is the new reference point. No elite groups of protesters like the black block or White overalls, no police brutality, just an unbelievably huge united demonstration that involved 80 year olds to 8 week olds.

This is important if we are to make posible the ´´other world´´. We have to deepen and extend this movement further, to bring it from mass protests to seriously challenging the system. Central to this has to be bringing the movement into the places where people congregate on a daily basis and feel most angry and willing to fight, that is, in the workplaces. In offices, schools, universities, factories and so on. To oppose war and capitalism, not just in whatever way possible but also in the most effective way possible through mass workplace stoppages, university occupations, strikes, and walkouts. We must build the links between the workers movement and the anti-capitalist movement. It has already begun in many countries such as the British Trade unions opposing Blair´s war and in Florence the Italian and French trade unions called for strikes when the war begins.

We must inform, help, lead and enthuse but also listen to other peoples views, allow people decide on their action and most importantly unite. It is only in a united fight that we will win