Hi,
I am Richard Moth’s father and our whole family has been worried sick about where Richard and Nicola are and how they are. Nicola’s family must be in the same predicament but we do not have any contact details for them so we have not been able to get in touch with them.

My daughter spent all of Sunday 22nd July phoning consulates and embassies etc in England and in Italy and could get no sense out of anybody. Total silence or indifference.

My thanks go to Jonathan Neale [of Globalise Resistance] who has given us regular updates, but we still remain very much in the dark. At least we know he’s there on the spot, and to have a local friend in times of problems is the thing that every traveller seeks.

I knew that Richard and Nicola were going to Genoa, he told me a couple of months ago. He was looking for a peaceful protest and maybe some relaxation on the Mediterranean coast.

I’ve watched the online video clips and read all the web pages and my first impression is that the Caribinieri made a great mistake in carrying out the raid at all as the venues were officially provided by the Mayor of Genoa and contained only the organisers, journalists, Italian MPs, lawyers, etc., and live broadcasts (mainly pop music) were being made from the building.

The school on the other side of the road, also provided by the Mayor, was just a dormitory containing 50 people. Somewhere safe to sleep. No terrorists, just a few pacifists who needed a place to doss down.

All of the 50 were savagely beaten up by the police and reports say that at least 20 people were rendered stretcher cases and police were seen to carry out at least two body bags. No mention has been made of any fatalities in any official report or in the media.

As far as I can tell this young man and young woman, while they lay asleep, were beaten with truncheons together with all the others sleeping in the same place. Some reports on the internet say that when some detainees arrived at the police station they were again beaten up with truncheon blows in the same wounds.

There have been many messages (and prayers) posted on Indymedia in support of the people who suffered violence during the raid and at least Richard and Nicola know that whatever happens they will have achieved something, if not for themselves, then for others.

Thank you for your publicity, and now can we have more, and LOUDER?

Regards,

Robert Moth