Destruction of Syrian chemical weapons might displace thousands in Italy for security reasons. Panic and local revolt loom

by Gabriele Bonafede

“Italy might deploy a 600-men military force within an off-limits one-km -wide perimeter in the port of Gioia Tauro to ensure security standards” said yesterday a mayor in snap-protest assembly against chemical weapons transfer. Although not confirmed, it was shocking news at a meeting of local administrators in San Ferdinando, the nearest town to port-area designed for weapons-transfer before treatment.

The identified perimeter might force thousands of people to leave for at least two-days. That is the planned timing for full transfer of highly toxic material from Danish ship Ark Futura to US Navy’s Cape Ray to take place in large Gioia Tauro port of Calabria (Southern Italy). Although news was not been officially confirmed, it sparked panic among locals.

Should news of perimeter be confirmed, all residents of San Ferdinando (4,000 inhabitants) would have to leave on a short notice, as Italian government has not informed local administrations yet. In fact, all local administrators and mayors – responsible for security under Italian law – had news of chemical weapons arrival from press a week ago. Soon afterwards, all sorts of rumors ignited restrained panic and activism in the area.

Should news be confirmed, also the city of Gioia Tauro itself (20,000) has to evacuate at least partially. Most of the area, populated by some 170,000 would be affected by huge displacements including city of Rosarno (15,000) and other little towns scattered around the huge port (see map).

Porto Gioia Tauro con San Ferdinando sul fondo, vicino alle banchine.

This is a new element fostering local’ anti-transfer movements building-up large consensus since news of Ark Futura arrivals spilled-over through Italy last week. It convinced potential supporters of UN plan to shy away and join activists. Protest leaders’ meeting yesterday included all 33 mayors of Gioia Tauro plain, plus scores of mayors and institutional officers coming from entire Calabria region. The local movement now include regional representatives referring to virtually all parties of Italian political landscape, without distinctions.

Even local representatives of Confindustria (Italian business-men association) joined “no-transfer” activists pushing for firm and unconditional refusal to UN-Italy plan, pointing at tourism-disruption effects. Regional bishops’ assembly “expressed concern” about weapon-transfer in a public note published a few hours before mayors’ meeting. This might seem negligible elsewhere, but it is a strong point in vehemently catholic Southern Italy.

Italian government called the mayors of the three nearest cities to port (San Ferdinando, Gioia Tauro and Rosarno) for a meeting today (Jan 20th Italian time), in order to explain transfer-plans in details.  Local administrators’ snap-assembly produced a final document instructing the three mayors for a clear and nonnegotiable refusal of any chemical weapons transfer in their area.

Outraged by the top-down and secretive attitude of Italian government, mayors and common citizens alike seem bold on refusing any deal. The port of Gioia Tauro is located in a region particularly neglected by Italian governments for decades and suffering widespread organized-crime as well as high rates of unemployment. Locals blame central government for a long record of ill-conceived top-down development plans and complete lack of rational industrial, agricultural and development policy. “Only now, say one of the 33 mayors, central government remembers us, and merely as a dumping-site”.

Mayor’s assembly meeting, open to common citizens, has been recorded and it is visible at  http://new.livestream.com/francocufari/sanferdinando (in Italian language). News about military units and red-line perimeter starts at 1 hour 37’in the 3hrs-long video.

This article in Italian language:

Gioia Tauro, si parla di militarizzazione ed evacuazioni di massa. La Calabria in rivolta: no al transito delle armi chimiche