No G7 Ancona, over 2 thousand in procession for public health

(by Daniele Carotti) (ANSA) – ANCONA, OCTOBER 11 – “In front of the useless, empty catwalks of the G7 Health, physical bodies of people demonstrating for public health, against environmental pollution, against war”. The summary of one of the demonstrators in Ancona in the counter-event of the “NoG7 Campaign Not on my body, profit from health out”, after the end of the ministerial works with seven large groups at the Mole Vanvitelliana: in the city center over 2 thousand people, according to the organizers, gathered in the central Piazza Cavour and marched along Viale della Vittoria, escorted by a large group of police forces, forming a long snake of banners, flags, colored smoke bombs, with music and chants for the ” Public health, free, universal and free”, against war and for “free Palestine”. At the head of the procession were around fifty health workers, including doctors, nurses, midwives and OSS from the Marche region who coordinated, Alfredo Rossini, a doctor from Urbino, told ANSA, to say “no to the G7 as a showcase, an institutional media catwalk” and in “fight for the inalienable right of all citizens to health which must be provided by accessible, high-quality public health services that maintain a universal, fair and supportive character”. There were many souls in the procession, banners, flags of associations, unions, social centres, parties, of peace and of Palestine. “Stop Israel’s war, Stop genocide”, “health is a global right, no to capital speculation”, “the system is the disease, rebellion is the cure”, “no to the outlawing of movements and dissent” , “stop the environmental disaster”, “abortion saves lives” for safe and free abortion: these are some of the themes proposed by the demonstrators who also arrived from other parts of Italy including Lazio, Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige. The demonstration comes after three days of mobilization, with meetings and assemblies that contrasted with the work of the G7 Health. “It is part of a path undertaken in the previous weeks – explains Michele Binotti, Not on my body campaign – to give visibility to the bodies, to those who, despite a working day in the afternoon, have decided to demonstrate. Starting point for the realities that in the campaign of Not on my body have found themselves working in recent months, outside the fences, on objectives, practices and a common path”. This morning, recalls Vittorio Agnoletto, of Democratic Medicine, a “conference was held with delegates for the defense of public health, from various European countries but also from India and overseas: public health is under attack everywhere – he states – and this G7 is a mockery. The Italian Minister of Health declared that at the center there is ‘One Health’ which for the WHO means attention to the health of human beings, animals and the protection of the environment. This meeting is held by seven governments – he adds – who have in common the attempt to block the ecological transition and propose the same development model that has produced pathologies, deaths and which puts the environment at risk”. (HANDLE).