 |
Aktuelle News (13.11) Wir hatten ja bereits über die Probleme beim Sunsplash berichtet. Petition für das Sunsplash Nun, nach einiger Zeit meldet sich das Rototom mit einem Statement an seine Fans. Leider steht noch nicht fest, wo das Rototom Sunsplash 2010 stattfindet |
To the Sunsplash People
http://www.rototomsunsplash.com
Dear friends,
A couple of months have passed since the end of this year’s edition of Sunsplash, and it would be useful to us, and everyone, if we try to bring some order and clarity to the events that happened during the Festival and afterwards.
The edition that took place this year could have been the best so far, considering the great musical events, especially with the first Italian performance of Bunny Wailer, important guests who honoured us with their presence, such as Serge Latouche, Moni Ovadia and Don Ciotti, renewed and improved theme-dedicated areas and a campsite that was even more welcoming than before. Above all, you, the innumerable reggae massive, were more beautiful, passionate and international. It could have been the best.
However, during the days of the Festival a cruel strangle-hold was clasped around us and all of you.
One hand was administrative. We were submitted to a series of checks, inspections and searches to a level that was unheard of before, by the Labour Office, the Ecological Department, the Fire Brigade, Traffic Wardens from other towns and other official bodies. Even the Mayor of Osoppo was charged with the abuse of office for having allowed the Festival to take place. Every effort was made to put a spanner in the works of the organisation and to ruin Sunsplash, thankfully, without success.
The other hand was represented by the police forces. The effort to combat heavy-drug trafficking of the past years, which had always been supported by the organisation, changed to the criminalisation of the consumers of canapa, with the sad scenes that were witnessed al lover the Festival area, such as the hundreds of searches held in the tents of the campers. These invasive operations led to minimal results – very small quantities of "drugs" were found, with a third of the arrests made last year, for ridiculous quantities (3.4 gm of “smoke”), which did not justify the expensive and heavy use of the police forces used. It’s a fact that in Italy a repressive and criminalising law, the “Fini Giovanardi”, is in force, which we will not stop denouncing for its damaging effects, such as equating a joint to heroin and consumers with pushers. However, we have not witnessed the same amount of zeal in other locations, perhaps even more prestigious places, throughout this Italy which has been invaded by cocaine and other chemical substances. Justice is fair when the law is applied uniformly, equally and impartially. It is not if it is used as an instrument in a witch-hunt.
Straight away, we reported this state of affairs, which, in our opinion, made the relationship with Friuli impossible and irresponsible towards you, our audience. This also made us look for alternative solutions, above all Spain or Tuscany.
However, up to today we still have not had any reply of any kind from the institutions.
The administration and the people of Osoppo, with the Mayor at the head, have certainly shown a heartening reaction by mobilising and putting all the possible strategies into place. Their efforts have been supported by the representatives and people of the surrounding towns, as has been noted in previous articles. We will never stop thanking them for their affection and support.
However, we still have not had any reply from the Regional Council and its President Mr Tondo, who prefer to look the other way, and neither from any other authority that had been contacted.
At this moment, in respect of those people who have collected petitions in support of Sunsplash and who ask us not to leave any stone unturned, we feel the need not to despair and to continue trying to find a solution to this Friulan crisis. But, realistically, we are preparing to leave, to go to another place where we are viewed not as a problem, but as an opportunity, an opportunity for economic, cultural and social development.
To a place, finally, where you will all be treated with the respect you deserve.
Filippo Giunta
01.10.2009