Thousands protest expansion of U.S. military base in Italy

[Strengthandhonour]

Thousands protest expansion of U.S. military base in Italy


VICENZA, Italy — Tens of thousands of people marched through the northeastern Italian city of Vicenza under heavy police guard on Saturday to protest a planned U.S. military base expansion.
Despite fears that violent demonstrators would be drawn to the protest, the march took place without incident, finishing outside the main train station where it started, as hundreds of police officers stood guard and helicopters hovered overhead.
The route did not pass the airfield where the expanded base is to be built, where critics keep a permanent picket.
"The government majority — whether they agree with the protest or, like me, do not — welcomes that the demonstration in Vicenza finished in an orderly fashion," said Premier Romano Prodi, who had urged protesters to be peaceful. "This must be stressed."
Police estimated the crowd at 50,000 to 80,000, while organizers put the numbers at 120,000.
"To build a military base is not the gesture of a peaceful government," said 24-year-old city resident Simone Pasin, draped in a rainbow peace flag.
"I think it's time to dismantle military bases and put up structures of peace."
Trains and buses brought in leftist activists and anti-globalization protesters from across Italy to support residents concerned that the expansion would increase traffic and noise and air pollution, deplete local resources and raise the risk of terrorist attacks.
Government OK'd project
Prodi's government has approved the project, angering his far-left allies. The Communist and Green parties, members of the governing coalition, have backed the protest, though no one from the government showed up after Prodi banned ministers from attending.
Prodi has said his government had no reason to halt the expansion, which also has been approved by local authorities.
The Ederle base has about 2,900 active-duty military personnel.
The expansion at the Dal Molin airport, on the other side of town, would allow the U.S. military to move four battalions now based in Germany, raising the number to 5,000.
The move is part of the U.S. Army's overall transformation into a lighter, more mobile force — reducing its numbers in Europe from a Cold War high of 480,000 to 88,000 by 2012.
Under the plans, elements of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade, a rapid-reaction unit now spread between Italy and Germany, would be united.
"I think it is a done deal. I don't think there is any turning back. This is what Prodi has said and what the local authorities have said," said David Bustamente, a spokesman at the U.S. Consulate in Milan. "This demonstration is about process." Construction is scheduled to begin later this year and to be completed by 2011 at a total cost of $576 million.
Before construction begins, a task force run by Italians has been set up to hear community concerns and make adjustments to the plans where possible.

source: Thousands protest expansion of U.S. military base in Italy | www.azstarnet.com ®

[Marulus]

Oh, my God! These so-called pacifists are just flip-side of the coin of the Yankee-Judean tyranny in Europe, some kind of internal opposition, the controlled opposition.


And that peace-flag (bandiera arcobaleno) reminds me of the gay-flag somehow. Just a coincidence?

[Strengthandhonour]

Woudln't surprise me if there was no coincidence. But
i like to watch the so called liberals bleed in pain now that they have realized that they have been cheated once again by one of their own..or so they thought.

[Marulus]

I remember, in 2003. there were protests against Iraq war in Croatia. All kinds of anti-national scum, lefties, anarchists, gay-rights-advocates, NGOs protested against the imminent war. Most of the nationalists were against war too, but they did not want to join in the protests organized by leftie scumbags.

Protesters even burned an American flag in front of the American embassy in Zagreb.

But now comes the most interesting thing about all this: it turned out that almost all of these "pacifist" organizations were mostly, financed by...well... USAID, NED (National Endowment for Democracy), IRI (International Republican Institute), Soros foundation - all sorts of American governmental or partly-private foundations and organizations that work for the promotion of democracy in the world, blah blah blah...

And, what do you think? Did any of these leftie organizations lose any dollar of American support after all those protests and American-flag burnings? No, they didn't.

SAPIENTI SAT

[Marulus]

Originally Posted by Strengthandhonour

Woudln't surprise me if there was no coincidence.

US Marines are mostly gay-prostitutes anyway, so they fit together with these peace-protesters perfectly!

Originally Posted by Strengthandhonour

But i like to watch the so called liberals bleed in pain now that they have realized that they have been cheated once again by one of their own..or so they thought.

Indeed. The most terrible feeling one can have is to feel being betrayed by someone you thought he represented your ideals...