(Italy) NO TAV Women’s Day: Reclaim Dissent!

international | miscellaneous | news report

Thursday March 08, 2012 20:41

by italy calling - http://italycalling.wordpress.com

Responding to a call out made by women within the movement a few days ago, today around 100 NO TAV women met up in Susa to “have a chat” with the local Mayor (a woman herself).

The protesters bumped into the Mayor just outside the Council House and informed her they would “make a visit” to the meeting that had been planned in the morning.

A heated debate followed, where the protesters demanded the Mayor justify her support of the TAV project. The Mayor attempted to defend her position and highlighted everything would be done to “decrease the impact the project will have on the local area”. Furthermore, she added that the local authorities cannot undo the decision made by the government to carry on with the works.

An elderly lady from the Valley who will see her own house demolished received no words of comfort from the Mayor, who confirmed her fears over the effect the works will have on the health of local people (respiratory damage from dust, for example).

At the end of the meeting, the No TAV women offered the Mayor bouquets of tear gas painted in yellow: the only flowers that will ever grow in Valsusa if the TAV project is allowed to be completed (in Italy it’s tradition to give yellow mimosa flowers to women on International Women’s Day).

The initiative comes after a week of a blanket propaganda campaign orchestrated by the mainstream media against the NO TAV movement. Apart from the same old divisive arguments about good vs bad protesters, one article in particular has stood out, published in a supplement “for women” sold by the newspaper Corriere della Sera. Just to give you an idea of its incredibly sexist rhetoric, I’ve translated the title and summary:

“NO TAV: The defeated women of the Val Susa
The female metamorphosis of the protests. Once they would set up improvised nurseries, they would cook, they would shyly smile while holding their wire-cutters. Today they carry out violent direct actions, come from social centres, and instead of woolly hats they wear balaclavas”

…I think that says it all, doesn’t it? As a woman, you might be allowed to protest, as long as you do it in a “womanly” way, within the stereotypes: in the kitchen, looking after children, smiling shyly behind your long fringe. If you’re bold and step out of the sexist stereotypes, then you’re not a woman anymore…if you can read Italian, have a read yourself. The article was followed by a wave of outraged responses by the NO TAV and other feminist and activist sites, here is a good collection (all in Italian, sorry).

For functioning links, more on NO TAV movement and radical news from Italy:
http://italycalling.wordpress.com

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Comments (5 of 5)

Why?

by Iron Joe

Fri Mar 09, 2012 02:38

Why are they protesting against the new rail line between Turin and Lyon?

Electrify the World's Railways, as that is Environmentaly Friendly.

by John

Fri Mar 09, 2012 05:57

Opposition to the Lyons speed train is from what I can understand at a distance, is because it is not friendly to Italian community. The bosses perfer speed trains, and that workers and community to which they live prefer slow electric trains that are environmentaly friendly, and comfortable with all convieniences.

In fact with the ouster of the last Billionaire President, it shows that the workers unions need to take ownership and control over this community project, and make sure the peoples democracy prevails so the natural enviroment and the peoples are not in evironmental antagonism, but freaked-out speed trains geared to monopoly capitalist speed-up society isn't worker-friendly. Viva workers control!! You yet have a world to win!!

A Blacklisted CNR- Canadian National Railway Yardforeman- Conductor. End pollution wars, not endless wars for more and more pollution. Viva Moe and Red Kennedy..

Bit of background

by italy calling

Fri Mar 09, 2012 16:38

Hi there, here is a bit of background on the struggle:

http://italycalling.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/brief-hist...ment/

Thanks

Sat Mar 10, 2012 01:51

Yes, now I undestand - they want slower trains. As a man who works a 70 hour week I prefer to get to work faster. Maybe the glass ceiling holding women back from earning the same as men is not so much a glass ceiling as a slow train.

take a break, Joe..

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party

Sat Mar 10, 2012 07:44

You're obviously overworked and under strain.

get some rest and re-read your own comment. No need to apologise, we all fuck up.

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(Italy) NO TAV Women’s Day: Reclaim Dissent!

Comments (5 of 5)