Huge Commie Rally Outside U.S. Air Base

(above: Prodi sold us to the U.S.A.)

The polemics surrounding the expansion of the U.S. Air Force base in Vicenza (see Gennaio 19) will continue this weekend with Italian lefists staging a massive rally. Fausto Bertinotti, head of Rifondazione Comunista and part of the Prodi government, urged protesters to be non-violent after several Italian politicans voiced concern over the protests being infiltrated by militants (from Italy and beyond). The organizers of the rally pledged that Vicenza would be "invaded peacefully and noisily by (80,000) thousands of men and women, and the protests were non-violent.

In a massive sweep last week Italian authorities arrested a dozen or so members of the Brigate Rosse -- Red Brigades -- an Italian Communist paramilitary group -- with huge weapon arsenals. Italy is no stranger to political violence and terrorism, and since WWII has had several Communist and Fascist bomb attacks (as well as political assassinations) on its soil.

(above: US Army Friend$. Only imbeciles never change their mind)

The U.S. military restructuring plan of George W Bush -- cutting U.S. troops in Europe by 2/3, moving the Hiedelberg base to Wiesbaden, etc. -- also includes repositioning 2,000 soldiers to Vicenza. Italians recognize that the U.S. Air Base provides an economic injection to Vicenza's local economy, but worry that it could (once again) be used as a forward-operating base for American war plans -- like it was during the Balkans.

Saturday afternoon from Sardegna Berlusconi chimed in via conference call to the Forza Italia Youth Summit in Napoli: "I'm very sad because while you youth are there (in Napoli) discussing themes of liberty, thousands of protesters are marching in Vicenza against the United States."