Siena, May 8, 2010
In the night between Friday and Saturday occupants students of the Faculty of Humanities Siena have been attacked as dangerous as violent, which culminated with the attempt to fire the local archives of the Library of the Faculty. On the evening of Friday, after a very participatory meeting to lay the political strategy of the occupants, it was shown the film "Milk" which was attended by many students, teachers and ordinary citizens. The screening ended, closed the main gates, the students of the night shift were preparing to finalize the organization of cultural events of the day.
During the night, about four o'clock, a group of seven or eight individuals began knocking violently at the door asking to join. Students present, having noted that the opening hours of night had now concluded peacefully asked not to scream and go home.
After refusing to go away for a long time, the group of frantic attempted to break through the two gates of death, threatening the occupants with various insults and insulting them, forcing them to move some furniture to prevent it ' entry. Seeing that you could not make it into the Faculty, the violence of these guys is vented on the archive of the Library, in the same building in San Galgano have broke down the door and set fire to the dissertations (the archive contains hundreds) with the specific aim to burn the store, adjacent to the library, and then the Faculty of Arts from Siena, inside - Siege - students !
Only the intervention of the police has restored calm, but the fact remains of an unprecedented gravity.
our protest, our occupation of this building is to sensitize the society on the fundamental role of culture and critical knowledge, an essential function that is the victim of a frontal attack by various forces every day trying to delegitimize. This grave act of intolerance - of incivility - shows how great the ignorance of these guys, that swollen with anger and hatred, and the presumption of irrationality, they tried to set fire to a university faculty.
It 's something that upsets us, that leaves us speechless. The accident has allowed the entire library not catch fire, with untold consequences also given its proximity to the Intesa unit, and then with pipes for gas supply. It 's a fact that can not remain silent, and must be strongly condemned by the whole society, a society that if you forget the importance of knowledge and culture can not forget that the very essence of sharing, tolerance, respect.
We call on all democratic forces to condemn this and all acts of blind ignorance and intolerance that increasingly disrupt our society.
thank both solidarity associations espressaci already close to us, and by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, prof. Roberto Venuti, and by the Rector of the University of Siena, prof. Silvano Focardi. At the same time thank the police for their prompt intervention and professionalism with which they handled and are handling the issue.
Students of the University of Siena will not be intimidated by these acts of stupidity and vandalism for its own sake. We will continue with even greater strength for our campaign and protest, in the increasingly strong belief that our work is required as mandatory.
Students of the University of Siena occupying the Faculty of Arts
