April 25th, the day of the national liberation from fascism. Parades, parties, and lectures by the democratic "squatters of the mind." Of what interest is this for anarchists, who reject every state, no matter whether it is right, left, or middle, militaristic or consume-oriented?
April 25th, 1997 in Italy was special: full four hours waiting-time at the border to Austria. Dear me, where are all these Italians going? Why do they prefer to leave their warm country for the cool north, one wonders? The answer comes from two sides: searching for illegal immigrants from Albania, Austria is undertaking special checks. Not only that one expects this sort of behaviour from the officers at the Austrian border - even more it is well-known amongst the public that it is the duty of Austria to guard the border that was "opened" hypocritically by Italy and Germany.
But there is another rumour going around among the angry car-drivers. Somebody allegedly has heard on an Italian radio station that there has been a bomb attack in Milano and that this is the reason for the careful checks. We think that one reason does not exclude the other and the next day we read in an Italian newspaper: "Bomb attack in Milano - anarchist provocation" (corriere della sera, April 25th).
At the press agency "Ansoa" in Bologna and at the alternative/commercial radio station "Radio Popolare" in Milano letters of confession arrive, in which allegedly a group called "azione rivoluzionaria" claims to be responsible for the bomb attack at April 25th in Milano at the Palazzo Marino. The Italian press fantasises freely, spreads rumours and invents the most impossible connections between past and present times; looking for the real motivation for this attack they are moving in circles. All misunderstandings are cleared by a phone call: "We demand the immediate release of the imprisoned anarchists!"
An old theory suddenly gains new ground. This attack is surely somehow connected with the (made-up) ORAI, too. A special meeting of all oppressive forces, state attorneys, carabinieri, special squads etc. Is called in, producing a deepened delirium which finds its climax with the search for terrorist structures on the internet pages of the European squatters movement (more in the article from "Caliente").
In the meantime another letter of confession arrives at Radio Popolare, in which the station itself is accused of treachery because they gave the first letter to the political police instead of reading it aloud on air. To understand this one must know that Radio Popolare came into existance in the 70's as a free radio, that wanted to give a voice to the fighting proletariat. As the years went by these voices stopped more and more. Not only os the station getting more and more commercialised (ads, selling of shares etc.) but it also follwos more and more a reformist, legalised line.Music, we know only too well in our country too! So nothing new, nothing amazing; but it gives you an insight which structures of the movement are expressed by which stations and which are not.
Concerning the bomb attack: there was a lot of damage, nobody was injured. Compare the CDA note of July 2nd.