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International chronology of the Radical Party: 1983 |
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JANUARY/JUNE - Dying of Hunger, Nonviolence MARCH - Italy: Rome - Antimilitarism XXVIII RP CONGRESS (Extraordinary) JULY - Belgium: Brussels - Hunger 4 AUGUST - Italy: Comiso - Antimilitarism 21 SEPTEMBER - Italy - Negri Case 21 OCTOBER - Czechoslovakia: Prague - Disarmament NOVEMBER - Italy: Rimini - XXIX RP CONGRESS JANUARY/JUNE - Dying of Hunger, Nonviolence Marco PANNELLA goes on hunger and thirst strikes. The Radical leader repeatedly embarks on extreme forms of nonviolent action, abstaining from food and drink to denounce the political class’s indifference to the world tragedy of over 30 million people who have died from starvation in the South of the world; and to ask that the commitments publicly undertaken by Parliament and the Government be respected. MARCH - Italy: Rome - Antimilitarism Another walk-around for the conversion of military apparatuses to finance operations to prevent hunger in the world. Radical and LDU activists walk around the Parliament until they drop.Then a group of activists enter the public gallery of the Chamber of Deputies and throw a bag of bank notes down into the hall, on which is printed the face of Defence Minister LAGORIO and the sum of the anticipated 1983 military budget. (LGN89) 13, 14, 15 MAY - Rome - Italy - XXVIII RP CONGRESS (Extraordinary) Ironical counter-parade undertaken on Armed Forces Day. A number of activists are arrested.
The Radicals call upon the people to refrain from voting, while presenting lists that result in the election of 11 deputies and one senator, including Toni NEGRI, university professor, theorist belonging to Autonomia Operaia (Autonomy for the Workers) in favour of armed revolt, and detainee accused of terrorism.
JULY - Belgium: Brussels - Hunger The Senate approves the "Survič" Law which provides for the creation of a survival fund for the third world destined to ensure the survival of human beings threatened by starvation, in the regions with the highest mortality rate. The Radical Party collects signatures from 453,000 Italian citizens and 3,166 mayors on a popular petition asking the Italian Parliament to approve a law aimed at saving at least 3 million lives in the areas where hunger is rampant; and to combine this "operation survival" with an effective policy of self-sufficiency and development. 4 AUGUST - Italy: Comiso - Antimilitarism Radical antimilitarists enter the Comiso missile base clandestinely, simply by climbing over the fencing. They include Alfonso NAVARRA, Paolo PIETROSANTI, Gaetano DENTAMARO, Maddalena TRAVERSI, and Andrew HODSON. (NR no.75/1985 p.21) They were arrested, released after eight days, and later acquitted at trial. The political significance, here, is that while pacifism is all the rage we enter the Comiso base, not to say "better Red than dead" but to point out that the problem lies with Rome, with the Parliament that allocates thousands of billions of lira to military spending, while spending nothing on clandestine or radio information for the East. 21 SEPTEMBER - Italy - Negri Case Communist request for the suspension of Toni Negri’s parliamentary immunity, preventing his arrest, rejected by Parliament. Radical absention crucial. 21 OCTOBER - Czechoslovakia: Prague - Disarmament A coach taking Radical activists to Prague to celebrate the World Day for Disarmament and Peace, proclaimed by the UN, is stopped at the Czechoslovakian border. They decide to symbolically occupy the frontier post until the next day, when three activists were nevertheless able to reach the city and unfurl a banner in St. Wenceslas Square. NOVEMBER - Italy: Rimini - XXIX RP CONGRESS As well as confirming previous commitments, the Radical Party engages itself to increase the minimum pension in Italy. |
