Wednesday,
September 12, 2007
Italians hold 'F*** off- Day - Adapting
Technology For Political Reform
The
ANNOTICO Report
Although
it seemed like one of those organized anarchy shindigs, (kind of a
contradiction in terms), but it's purpose was focus light on the importance to
Oust Rotten Politicians, but it wasn't clear just HOW all this
fed-up energy was being channeled to do it , exactly.
But, as one
Italian said, "To see this many people come out for something done over
the Internet, with no political affiliation, is unbelievable. If I were in
government, I'd be worried."
Some
300,000 Italians stopped on a sunny Saturday to sign a petition they hope will
oust the most rotten politicians -- those convicted or standing trial -- out of
parliament in the country's first "F***-off day."
In
Shaggy-haired,
finger-wagging Beppe Grillo,
who runs one of the most-read blogs in
By any measure,
the initiative was a success. Grillo (that's
"cricket" in English) only needed 50,000 signatures to obtain a
national referendum on the bill that would also limit lawmakers from serving
more than two terms and introduce direct election of parliament members rather
than leaving the choice to parties.
And this push for
a change in politics demonstrated a difference in how protesters organize.
Liberatory Expletive Day resounded
in 180 Italian cities and in a couple of continents using new technology -- blogs, YouTube, Meetup -- impressive when two-thirds
of the country doesn't use the Internet.
Traditional
Italian media outlets -- each with a pronounced political flavor and ties --
used the event to stir up criticism for Romano Prodi's
current center-left government after mostly ignoring V-day.
Days later, they
are still haranguing each other about it from across party lines, with only
former judge and anti-corruption crusader Antonio
Di Pietro supporting this public cry to clean up politics.
Papers and TV are
so out of touch they gave massive space leading up to and then covering state
funerals for opera icon Luciano Pavarotti (only NPR had the
courage to say the truth: most Italians consider him a man who traded an old
wife for a young secretary and tried to weasel out of taxes); Big Luciano's burial warranted state broadcaster RAI's first streaming Internet event.
In Milan,
F***-offers met in the same square in front of the Castello
Sforzesco where former premier Silvio
Berlusconi wooed voters with cheese,
Prosecco and playing cards with Il Cavaliere's
face about a year ago.
Minus the food
and gadgets, the alt-young things reminded me of a concert crowd -- another
frequent mixer with politics here -- very mellow, kids, dogs, dreadlocks all
welcome but not obligatory. (Here are some quick phone
cam shots, but the 3,400-odd photos from around Italy give a better idea of
just how many people came out.)
Bands and
political thinkers boomed out of a truck and there was petition signing, a
little beer drinking and general bonhomie. A couple hundred people crowded into
a corner of the square, not a bad turnout considering it was a beautiful fall
day where most locals were shopping or roaming around pre-chanting for the
France-Italy soccer match later that day.
I had few
expectations from F***-off day; it seemed to me like one of those organized
anarchy shindigs, kind of a contradiction in terms. Truth is,
leading up to the event it wasn't clear just what all this fed-up energy was
being channeled to do, exactly.
But, as the
Italian friend I dragged along with me said, "To see this many people come
out for something done over the Internet, with no political affiliation, is
unbelievable. If I were in government, I'd be worried."
The
ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (and are Archived) on:
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Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com (3 years)
Annotico
Email: annotico@earthlink.net