Accommodation

The Council in Genoa is offering to provide some basic places for people to sleep. This is a step forward. But there isn’t enough accommodation so far - they have offered space for 3000 people, and the Genoa Social Forum (who are organising the protests) reckon space for 50,000 will be needed. Negotiations are continuing.

The accommodation will be between 3km and 10km from the demonstrations (this is between 2 and 6 miles, which is between 30 minutes and 90 minutes walk.) There may not be food available at the accommodation (see Food and Water below) - though water will be available.

Bring a sleeping bag (only a light one - it will be hot) or a mat.

Some of the accommodation will be in sports stadiums. Some of it will be in parks, where there will be space for people to camp. Some tents will be provided - but probably not many, and old people and disabled people will get priority. You might want to bring your own tent, but bear in mind that you may have to carry it around - anything but the lightest tent could quickly become a nightmare in the heat. (Depending on the time when our transport leaves on Saturday, you might have to bring the tent on Saturday’s demo, because you would not have time to go back for it afterwards.)

Keep checking on our website for updated news about accommodation.

Food and Water
Bring plenty of water. Genoa in July will be very hot, and there is a risk that people will become ill from lack of water. Bring water to Genoa with you, and make sure you take plenty on the demos - we recommend three litres. Many of the shops in Genoa will be closed, because the shopkeepers have gone on holiday. Also, much of the accommodation is in the posh end of town, where there aren’t many shops anyway. So stock up on food and water when you can. There may be food vendors about, but we don’t know what prices or quality will be like.

Because of Foot and Mouth Disease, you can’t bring food from Britain into France.

Convergence Centre
The authorities will provide a convergence centre to provide information for people when they arrive, including information about accommodation. Meetings may also be held here. This is where you should head for if you have arranged your own transport. The Convergence Centre is in the Piazzale Kennedy, which is in the Foce area. It is about 1km away from the Brignole rail station, towards the sea.

People’s House
This is a location where office space and computers will be available to organisations involved in the protests. Globalise Resistance will have a space here. The address is Via Cesare Battisti, which is ten minutes away from the Convergence Centre.

The Red Zone, the Yellow Zone and Western Genoa
The Red Zone is an area in the centre of Genoa, surrounding the conference itself. Only local residents and those attending the summit can enter. The Red Zone will be surrounded with a 5 metre high metal fence, which will be put up between Sunday 15 and Wednesday 18 July.

The authorities were planning a larger zone - the Yellow Zone - where people could go but not demonstrate. The Genoa Social Forum argued against this, because it would lead to arguments between protesters and police about what was or wasn’t a protest. The authorities accepted this, and there is now no Yellow Zone. There is still a large no parking zone, and some workplaces have been closed.

The authorities want to prevent access to the area west of central Genoa - this is the route from the conference to the airport, which is how the fat cats will arrive and leave. Negotiations are continuing about this.

Mobile Phones
We understand that mobile phones will not work on Friday (the day of the Direct Action) around the Red Zone. They should work the rest of the time.