25.07.2001

Toy Town revolutionaries

On a train rattling through the French countryside a dedicated band of revolutionaries from the Socialist Workers Party came together to plan for the battles ahead. Tightly packed into the buffet car, they plotted their strategy.

They were up against the G8 and the might of the Italian state. Their target was ambitious. Small though their forces were, they would breach the fortified ?zona rossa? and close down the conference, liberating the divided city of Genoa and the workers trapped behind the wall of steel.

Friday July 20 and the comrades were ready. Under the leadership of leading SWPer Chris Bambery, their faces protected by bandannas and swimming goggles, they headed for the ring of steel surrounding the occupied zone.

Standing between several hundred comrades and the fence was a small number of carabinieri - 20 at most. The state forces retreated and were quickly displaced by comrade Bambery and his band. Within minutes they were at the fence.

Leading from the front, comrade Bambery launched himself at the steel wall, attempting to clamber up and over. The spray from a garden hose drove him back. Other comrades managed to fashion a lever and, pulling in unison, threatened to bring the fence down. The comrades were in sight of their goal.

From a side street riot police raced down the hill. Caught between the fence and 300 cops, the comrades were trapped. Showdown time.

Again comrade Bambery showed his mettle and, stepping forward, he approached the thick blue line. Revolution versus reaction. Good versus evil. Would this be the apocalyptic confrontation promised on the train?

Once again, facing the stern resolve of revolutionary hope, the police backed down. Parting, the police allowed our SWP comrades to pass through unmolested (although bandannas had to be removed and a promise of good behaviour extracted - a small price to pay in order to engage in the struggle once more). Onwards, comrades!

Marching on, the comrades came to a hole in the steel fence protected only by a couple of parked lorries. Surely this was it? Surely now we would storm this bastion of reaction, tear down the G8 and destroy global capital, raising our proud banner for the whole world to see?

Then again, perhaps not. Our SWP comrades marched resolutely by. One confrontation with the state was more than enough for a day. The workers of Genoa would have to wait a little longer for liberation. Our masters would live to fight another day. The SWP had played at being r-r-revolutionary and still managed to get home in time for tea. Maybe next time ...