July 07, 2009
"I don't push back": say no to the Italian policy for the repatriation of migrants to Libya
The campaign “I don’t push back” emerged spontaneously alongside the blog “Fortress Europe”, the Italian school “Asinitas” in Rome and the authors of the documentary “As a man on Earth”. The latter is the first movie to show the violence and tortures perpetrated against migrants and refugees in Libyan prisons, which are partially financed by Italy.
The campaign triggered a vast mobilization, which took place between the 10th and the 20th June 2009 across the Italian peninsula. In only one week, the supporters initiated sit-ins, anti-racial demonstrations, workshops, projections, and letters to prefects. Thousands of people got involved, from Rome to Milan, from Cagliari to Pavia, from Padua to Pisa. Many more joined in Florence, Modena, Siena, Genoa, Pinerolo, Agrigento, Barcellona, Malta. Far removed from the official spotlight, the campaign was generated by the people, precisely when the Italian government was welcoming the Libyan dictator Mu‘ammar Gheddafi on a red carpet.

The campaign commenced with a demonstration in Piazza Farnese on the colonel’s first visit to Rome, on June 10th. Popular music was alternated with political refugees’ testimonies, theater plays, and debates, while signatures for the petitions were gathered and information-kits distributed. The day ended with the projection of the documentary.
During the demonstration the women’s letter to Gheddafi was read. The text was launched by the website “Storie Migranti” in response to the Libyan leader’s meeting with 500 Italian women.
By the end of the day, 1000 people had turned up in Piazza Farnese. Alongside the mobilization of the civil society, other major institutions got involved, namely Tavolo Asilo, a group of associations that have been advocating refugees’ rights for years, and have submitted a petition to the EU, ONU and European Council. The petition contributed to the condemnation of practices of refugees’ repatriation as stated by the European Council for Refugees and Exiles.

The campaign is not over. After 200 screenings throughout Italy, “As a man on Earth” will be broadcasted on Rai Tre on July 9th at 11.40 pm. In these weeks the website of Fortress Europe has hit its record of access: in the last 60 days we have registered more than 90.000 visits. We invite everyone to watch the film and hear the refugees’ stories vis à vis Gheddafi’s speech at La Sapienza, which is now available online thanks to a student who recorded the event with her mobile.
We invite everyone to sign the petition to ask for a fact-finding mission in Libyan prisons. So far, we have gathered 10,000 signatures. Even the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini has called for a parliamentary mission in Libya. It’s time to make our voice heard.

Gabriele Del Grande

Photo by Sandro Martis, Cagliari,12 June 2009.