Major Red Brigade arrests in Italy.

[tim]

Whilst some posters here are reminising about Bader Meinhof etc, here in Italy there is a bit of a return of the Red Brigades controversy. !15 arrests and, so it seems plans to bomb Sky Mediaset and the home of the much loved former PM Silvio B, as well as to murder the odd economist. Rather uninformative BBC link here.

 

[nino_savatte]

Aye, they skimmed this story on BBC News 24 yesterday. Ta for that.

 

[tim]

Of course, it's worth noting that this coincides with a big demonstration on saturdayagainst the building of a large new American base 2 km from the centre of Vincenza.
Having said that those arrested have all declared themselves to be political prisoners suggests that they at least see don't see themselves as apolitical victims of a police trawl. Here's a Guardian link. Which also highlights the fact that this is a group with a pretty broad age range, quite a few of the 15 are in their 40's and 50's

 

[Idris2002]

And now it's major Red Brigade arrests in France:

France arrests ex-members of Italy extremist group Red Brigades

Italy has long been demanding the extradition of far-left extremists offered protection in France.

www.bbc.com

That links says that it's not clear if they'll have to be extradited, French courts will have to decide.

I presume this is some kind of confidence building thing between Paris and Rome (aren't those two backing different factions in the Libyan civil war?)

 

[Flavour]

I don't think this has much to do with Libya tbh.

I think this is Macron trying to appeal to the right-wing vote.

He won't go as far as arresting Polanski though.

 

[gawkrodger]

giorgio pietrostefani one of the founders of Lotta Continua amoungst those arrested

 

[gawkrodger]

this goes into more detail on the arrests

TPR : The Public's Radio : TPR

We aren’t just Public Radio, we are The Public’s Radio. Hear us on WNPN 89.3FM across Rhode Island and the Southcoast of Massachusetts.

thepublicsradio.org

 

[DaveCinzano]

Bit of commentary

Bombers in Paris: The Arrest of Italy’s ‘Red Terrorists’ Raises the Spectre of Political Violence | Novara Media

Seven Italians were arrested in Paris this morning – all former members of ‘red terrorist’ groups active during Italy’s ‘years of lead’. James Butler explores the questions we still need to answer when it comes to political violence.

novaramedia.com

 

[hitmouse]

Not a huge amount on this in English, but apparently Cesare Battisti is on hunger strike due to being held in solitary confinement in a wing where all the other prisoners are Islamists. Being held on the ISIS wing sounds like it can't be much fun.

 

[Flavour]

Not the first time he's been on hunger strike if I remember well

 

[hitmouse]

Yeah, he was definitely on hunger strike in autumn 2020 as well, not sure about before that.

 

[hitmouse]

Unexpected side-effect of Milei coming to power in Argentina:

Former Red Brigades member arrested in Argentina after four decades on run

Leonardo Bertulazzi, 65, wanted in Italy for kidnapping and other crimes allegedly committed as part of far-left group

www.theguardian.com

 

[Flavour]

Don't think they'll extradite him (yet) he can appeal and keep this going for a while -- I hope!