Squatted social centres activists are urban protest actors, but not only. They are spatially localized in the city centers or in the peripheral/working class districts, but their reach of action is often also regional, national, and global. In fact, they are often engaged in broader protest campaigns and social movements. In particular, research on Lulu-Locally Unwanted Land Use movements in Italy (as against large infrastructures) have highlighted as social centres activists are central actors, bringing generational resources, political-organizational experiences and repertoires of action (counter-cultural activities, creative demonstrations, direct actions). While often labeled as violent by the media and the authorities, they are integrated in protest networks through their participation in mobilization and a growth in bonds of mutual trust, contributing to turn the struggle from Nimby (Not In My Back Yard) to Nope (Not On the Planet Earth); they nevertheless can bring elements of internal tensions to the movement with respect to more moderate and institutional actors involved. In this paper, based on previous and current field research – through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and analysis of documents – we focus on the role played by social centers activists within two of the most important Lulu movements in Italy: those against the high-speed railway in Val di Susa (No TAV); the construction of a US Navy ground station of satellite communications in Sicily (No Muos). The interactions of the social centers militants with other movement groups and activists will be analyzed, highlighting not only both the internal tensions and conflicting and cooperative relations, but also their ability to attract youth participation and favor the cross-issues and cross-territorial scale shift.

Squatted Social Centres Activists and ‘Locally Unwanted Land Use’ Movements in Italy: A Comparative Analysis Between Two Case Studies

Piazza Gianni;FRAZZETTA, FEDERICA
2019-01-01

Abstract

Squatted social centres activists are urban protest actors, but not only. They are spatially localized in the city centers or in the peripheral/working class districts, but their reach of action is often also regional, national, and global. In fact, they are often engaged in broader protest campaigns and social movements. In particular, research on Lulu-Locally Unwanted Land Use movements in Italy (as against large infrastructures) have highlighted as social centres activists are central actors, bringing generational resources, political-organizational experiences and repertoires of action (counter-cultural activities, creative demonstrations, direct actions). While often labeled as violent by the media and the authorities, they are integrated in protest networks through their participation in mobilization and a growth in bonds of mutual trust, contributing to turn the struggle from Nimby (Not In My Back Yard) to Nope (Not On the Planet Earth); they nevertheless can bring elements of internal tensions to the movement with respect to more moderate and institutional actors involved. In this paper, based on previous and current field research – through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and analysis of documents – we focus on the role played by social centers activists within two of the most important Lulu movements in Italy: those against the high-speed railway in Val di Susa (No TAV); the construction of a US Navy ground station of satellite communications in Sicily (No Muos). The interactions of the social centers militants with other movement groups and activists will be analyzed, highlighting not only both the internal tensions and conflicting and cooperative relations, but also their ability to attract youth participation and favor the cross-issues and cross-territorial scale shift.
2019
978-981-13-1730-9
social movements, social centres, LULU movements, mobilization, Italy
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/358767
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