Rumours over Schengen agreement and ESF

Wednesday October 16, 2002 14:52

by esf

From ATTAC newsletter: The threat over the European Social Forum (By ESF Italian Coordination) Silvio Berlusconi is starting to play with the social movements. He is organizing rumors that his government will lift the Schengen agreement during the ESF. The Italian coordination is asking for a very strong response even if this attempt is not yet a confirmed decision. Please contact Italian embassies around the world and express your concerns about this. (Spread the word, thank you).

While we were going to positively close all the agreements with the
Local Auhorities and the Local Representative of the Government in
Florence, a very bad rumor appeared today in some newpapers.

It seems the Italian Government is planning to suspend the Shenghen
agreements' application during the ESF week.

Until now, there is no official confirmation of it.

We decided to open a very strong campaign in order to stop this
decision before it will became a reality.

Today we interrupted the meeting with all the Local Representatives in
Florence, as a symbolic action, explaining it's impossible to go on
with the technical negotiations until we will know by sure which kind
of scenario we will have in front of us.

In the Parliament today several parlamentarians from different parties
asked formally the Government for an answer, and are planning other
kind of pressures.

We are trying to organize a campaign at the level of the European
Parliament.

We asked the Local Authorities in Florence to express clearly against
this decision, and it seems they will do it.

There has been a press conference today. In the next days we will go
on with a press campaign, and a specific campaign devoted to the
citizens in Florence. And of course, we will go on with the
preparation of the ESF!

We need your support!

We ask you to organize press conferences in your country to ask the
Italian Goverment not to take this decision.

We ask you to send official statement to the Italian Government
through the Italian Embassies and the Consulates, organizing -where
possible- symbolic actions in front of the Embassies.

We ask you to involve intellectuals, politicians and prominent people
to write appeals.

We ask you to send statements by all the international neworks and
coalitions.

Please, send copies of these statements in the mailing list.

We believe it's possibile to stop this decision. But we have very very
short time. According to our informations, it can become official at
the end of this week. So, we have to move quickly.

Let's defend together our rights! A Europe without citizens'
participation is a Europe without democracy.

Thank you very much to all of you.

The ESF Italian Coordination

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Comments (3 of 3)

And what about the Irish 'Schengen Visa'?

by Jean - HEINZREPORT

Wed Oct 16, 2002 16:06

heinzreport at fr dot st

Why Ireland is in the EU has Euro, but is not member of the schengenvisa?
So each Nation can make his own 'decission' what is and what is not?
If Ireland don't open the door for Schengenvisa, why 'defacto' Italy is not authorized tu suspend it?
I am against this whole maipulation shit of an Europe, a European Union, a EURO Group, a Schengenland ans so on.
All this Goverments takes their citizen for a fool, is my opinion.
Either YES to the EUROPEAN UNION with one Voice in Brussel and one Money and one Visa - or stop the whole shit. Better Ireland gives back the money to Brussel and stay out, then keeping on like a back-door for the British or a houskepper for Blair and Co.
At Dublin Airport a Officer told after removing my fingernail cutter, that 'here in Dublin Airport the coalition against the terror starts'... ans so on. he mentioned that Dublin is the back door for London and Blair and Bush?
So? Now berlusconi want's remover temporary teh Schengen Visa? OK, up to him. Why no go out from the EU and shake hans with his friends, Haider, Stoiber, Blair and Bush - and Ireland PM?

Re: Schengen agreement -What lifting it means

by Terry

Wed Oct 16, 2002 17:28

For those who may not be familiar with the Schengen agreement and
what the consequences of temporary suspending it are, it is as follows.

The Schengen agreement allows for the free movement of citizens between
all Schengen agreement countries. When this is lifted, border checks are
put back in place and everyone can be stopped and checked.

Some countries have been increasingly using this tool of suspending the
agreement whenever there are major protests or gathering of activists
and thus use flimsy excuses to block entry of those people into their
countries, thereby stopping people their legitmate right to protest and
free assembly.

The disadvantage to suspending the agreement is that it generally results
in extra hassel and costs all around to the country in question, but obviously
they figure that it is worth it. I think their motto is probably to stop
disent at any price.

Clearly Italy in this instance, wants to disrupt the ESF meeting and is
obviously bent on allowing any participants from other countries arriving.

The response of some people will be to travel earlier, but this increases
costs since one has to stay longer and not everyone can do this. The Italian
government are likely to be well aware of this and I would guess that they
aim stopping a certain percentage from arriving -say 80 or 90%

shengin shenanigins

by the way

Thu Oct 17, 2002 12:35

http://coyote.kein.org/pipermail/openeurope/2002-February/000072.html

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Rumours over Schengen agreement and ESF

Comments (3 of 3)