MESSINA – “Not just Torre Faro”. From here one “walk across the bridge” to Contesse, area involved in any expropriations. “Spazio Noponte” underlines: “On Saturday 20th April we will be at Villaggio Unrra e Contesse for a walk no bridge with concentration in the school square Subject to purchase, in via Calispera n° 23, at 3.30 pm. The target? Demonstrate against the continuation of the bridge process and open a public discussion in the area, after Faro/Ganzirri, most affected by the construction sites. The coming summer will be another summer of struggle and, if construction sites really begin, those will be the places where we will bring our opposition. The next few days will, however, be dedicated to creating discussion and mobilization events in the places that would be most heavily involved in the process of devastation to which the city will be subjected.”
The bridge over the Strait, as demonstrated by the publication of the list of possible expropriated persons, involves the entire city of Messina. From Capo Peloro to Mortelle, Contesse, Sperone, Pace, Tono, la Panoramica, Annunziata, Torrente Trapani, viale Europa and viale Italia (with temporary works for the underground railway station). All without forgetting the move of the central station to Gazzi.
The note also reads: “It is now clear to everyone that the bridge construction sites would not only affect the northern area of the city. The publication of the maps and the very long list of expropriations have sensationally disavowed the elegant ones rendering artfully published to give a watered down representation of the impact that the infrastructure would have on the territory. And if those affected by the expropriation procedures would be uprooted from their homes, their community, their network of friends, the inhabitants of entire neighborhoods affected by the construction sites would find themselves in a condition of unliveability for many years.”
“The bridge lands like an invasion”
And again: “The bridge over the Strait lands in our city like an “invasion”. This expression is increasingly used among the inhabitants and also in the institutional context. But if the bridge is an “invasion”, an “occupation” of the territory decided elsewhere, all we have to do is defend it, resist those who would like to transform it into a place from which to profit and leave rubble. We have promised this since the first day the bridge threat was raised again, and we will remain faithful to that promise. We will not remain helpless and witness the destruction of our city.”
And here is the conclusion of the reflection of “Spazio Noponte”: “In the last year, the movement has organized three popular marches and numerous initiatives, during which all the lies that had been told to the inhabitants to promote a useless work with devastating environmental impact. And today it is much stronger and new demonstrations involving different sectors of our community now take place weekly. The last of this was the extraordinary assembly of the no-bridge teachers held last Saturday in the hall Fasola“.
