Blair, Hain differ on Genoa protests

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, JULY 23. The British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair's strong condemnation of the Genoa protesters was overshadowed today by his Europe Minister, Mr. Peter Hain's equally sharp criticism of the Italian police for its handling of the protest which led to the killing of one demonstrator. His comments were in stark contrast to Mr. Blair's praise for the police and were seen to have embarrassed Downing Street.

Mr. Hain, who is a known supporter of public protests and is still remembered for his role in the anti-apartheid movement and the campaign against nuclear disarmament, accused the Italian police of ``over-reaction'' describing the shooting of a protester as particularly indefensible. ``The way in which Genoa was handled has to be looked at and some serious questions posed and answered. The action of the police shooting and killing somebody, you can't defend that'', he told Sky TV insisting that the ``voice of the people outside the institutions'' must be heard.

Though he also criticised the protesters for indulging in violence, it was his criticism of the police which was picked up both by the British and Italian media. Commentators said his remarks could cause ``tension between Britain and Italy''. The Times said that Mr. Hain's statement ``took the Government by surprise'' coinciding, as it did, with Mr. Blair's unsparing condemnation of the rioters and unqualified praise for the Italian authorities' handling.

The Prime Minister had earlier said that to criticise the police for ensuring the safety of the summit was to ``turn the world upside down''. He was visibly irritated at suggestions that such high-profile summits could perhaps be avoided in view of the threat of violence that has dogged them in recent times. He said this would be to ``stand the whole principle of democracy on its head''. He was also critical of what he believed was disproportionate media coverage of the rioting, saying, ``the world has gone mad'' in giving more importance to the protests than the deliberations at the summit.

Mr. Hain's remarks have been contrasted with his reaction to the comparatively less violent protests at the Gothenburg summit a few weeks ago. That was his first outing after taking over as Europe Minister and he echoed the Prime Minister's unequivocal condemnation of the violence while upholding the right of the people to protest. He had been embarrassed by media comment suggesting that the trappings of power had ``softened'' him.

Meanwhile, commentators called for a review of the need for ``extravagant'' gatherings of world leaders. The Times, while strongly condemning the ``hooliganism'' in Genoa, said the G-8 leaders needed to ``do more to show the political relevance of these meetings and less to underline the banqueting and bonhomie, the ceremonial and the opulence.'' ``The spectacle of annual lavish gatherings by thousands of officials and swarms of journalists is unnecessary, unseemly and of relatively recent origin'', it said in an editorial.

The Guardian said summits had lost their relevance in an age of better communication and said while protesters must not be allowed to prevent world leaders from talking to each other ``but if they can put an end to a summit industry which has become wasteful, vacuous and dangerous, then they will have done some good.''

It joined issue with Mr. Blair saying that the ``travelling circus'' condemned by the Prime Minister was not made up of anarchists but ``officials, journalists and hangers-on who seem to decamp from one luxury confab to another.''

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