I know you're busy with debates and bailouts, and rightly so, but...

[stephinrome]

...could you lend a hand to the people in Vicenza, Italy? Take a moment to vote in their online referendum on the new U.S. base in their city. The deadline is Sunday, Oct 5, when the local referendum, which has now been blocked by the courts, was to take place. Anything you can do to help spread the word would be very much appreciated. They are also asking that you send an email to [e-mail] once you've voted indicating where you live so that they can attempt to map the vote.

See details and link below. Thanks!

Stephanie

On Wednesday, October 1, over 12,000 people poured into the main square in Vicenza; a demonstration without precedent for this city of 100,000 in northern Italy, organized at just 3pm the same day via text messages and word of mouth. The people responded with outrage to the ruling by the Council of State, Italy’s highest administrative court, to suspend a local referendum on the issue of the new (second) U.S. military base in Vicenza. Just days before it was to happen, the referendum, which had been requested by the people for over two years and was finally granted by the newly elected city council last June, was blocked. See video of the demonstration: http://www.nodalmolin.it/notizie/notizie_257.html

The people are determined to exercise their rights to express themselves on the issue, and this Sunday, the vote will go on. Volunteers will be on hand outside the 53 polling places – officially closed – to collect ballots, giving new meaning to the term “popular referendum.”

The vote, however, is also taking place online. Aware that the impact of this base is hardly limited to the city of Vicenza, the Presidio Permanente No Dal Molin, which has been leading the struggle against the new base, is also providing a way for people all over the world to participate symbolically in the referendum.

Go to the following page: http://www.nodalmolin.it/consultazione/consultazione.php

Enter your email in the space provided and click on SI to vote against the base. Yes, after two years of saying No Dal Molin, the referendum was worded so that a SI vote is actually against the base! The referendum asks if you agree with the City of Vicenza taking up measures aimed at the purchase of the Dal Molin area in order to designate its use in the public interest and to protect the environmental aspects of the site.

Once you have voted, please also send an email to: [e-mail] indicating where you live so that the organizers can map the vote.

Please vote by Sunday, October 5, 2008.

Viva la democrazia!

For additional information on the struggle against the base, see a collection of articles, photos and video in English at: http://www.peaceandjustice.it/vicenza

Official site of the movement : http://www.nodalmolin.it

[stephinrome]

1. I'm going to give this a bump...

...so more of you can support the folks in Vicenza who are doing their part to reign in US militarism.

Thanks!