WITH THE G8 Summit in the Abruzzo town of L’Aquila just two days away, anti-G8 protesters in Vicenza, Pope Benedict XVI and rock star Bob Geldof all made themselves heard. On top of that, the earth continues to move in L’Aquila itself, site of an earthquake three months ago in which 297 people died.
Aftershocks in the last week reaching 4.1 on the Richter scale prompted a flurry of media speculation that the Italian government has been forced to prepare at least two “Plan Bs”. The first plan would see the entire summit moved to Rome in the event of further serious tremors. The second plan envisages a swift exodus from L’Aquila for the world leaders, should a serious aftershock hit the region during the summit which runs from Wednesday to Friday.
Even though L’Aquila was hit by tremors registering 3.2 and 2.9 on Saturday, Guido Bertolaso, the head of the Protezione Civile, said he is not worried. He argued that the police barracks in Coppito, outside L’Aquila, the site of the summit, has been built to withstand the worst tremors recorded in the Abruzzo town. Ominously, however, Mr Bertolaso added that he has plans for “any emergency”.
In the meantime, summit host Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was given a torrid time when Bob Geldof had a private meeting with him in the government’s Palazzo Chigi over the weekend. Questioning the prime minister’s “credibility” and his right “to lead the G8”, Geldof complained bitterly that Italy has thus far delivered on only 3 per cent of the aid promised to developing countries by Mr Berlusconi four years ago. According to the editor of La Stampa, Mario Calabresi, who was present for the meeting, the prime minister apologised, saying that “we made a mistake”.
Geldof found an unlikely ally in Pope Benedict XVI who called on the G8 leaders “to maintain and boost development aid, not in spite of the crisis but precisely because this is one of the main solutions to it”. The pope went on to say that he hoped the “voice of Africa” and of developing nations would be heard at L’Aquila.
In what many saw as a G8 curtain-raiser, 13,000 demonstrators protesting against a US military base in the northern town of Vicenza clashed briefly with police on Saturday. Protests planned in L’Aquila are expected to pass off peacefully.