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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have been reading with growing horror about what
has been going on in Italy. Many of the first hand accounts have ended
with cries for help and letters and phone calls from those outside. I
haven't been sure who to call, where to send the letters, so I wrote up the
following and sent it to the Italian embassy in the U.S. I think many
other people would be willing to send messages of protest too if they only knew
to who or where. If anyone has any suggestions or a list of places please
share them - I would like to help in disseminating the information. The
following was my letter:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As an American citizen, as a world citizen, I am
shocked and outraged at the Italian treatment of peaceful protestors at the G8
convention in Genoa. I am offended by your country's armed forces attempts
to lie to us like stupid children, as if we can not see the photos and hear the
accounts of hundreds of first hand witnesses that tell us that none of the
protestors have been armed. Your police hid behind lies that they were
under threat of violence when they shot protestors. What will be their lie
when they explain entering the sleeping quarters of unarmed, non-violent
protestors and beating them violently? How will you explain how dozens of
full armed police had no choice but to break limbs, bludgeon heads and kill
sleeping, peaceful people in a country that claims to have a constitution that
defends the right of it's people to non-violently protest? What were their
crimes? There were none, and even if their had been, they would have been
obviously non-violent ones. Is this how your country treats anyone they
vaguely suspect of some crime? I am disgusted and demand an immediate halt
to your countries police actions, to the arresting of injured people, to the
torturing we have many first hand accounts of happening in your jails.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As a person of Italian decent I am disgusted and
ashamed. This is a dark day for your country, one of shame, and I hope
only that the leaders of Italy will come to their senses and stop this insanity
immediately. I am one voice among thousands, maybe millions, that cry out
against your countries actions and I do not believe for one second that the home
countries of many of the foreign protestors you have injured and beaten will
stand for it. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jacqueline Fiocchi Waters</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Champaign, IL</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>U.S.</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>