No Tav struggle spreads while Rome is hiding behind Brussels
![](https://jo24.net/assets/writers/images/05185627ec07770cd4328fd8886acf35.jpg)
تامر خرمه
Moreover, four protesters were accused by terrorism, despite the fact that they have nothing to do with organized networks or radical armed movements. Many of the citizens were arrested; several clashes with the police dominated the scene. The Supreme Court has asked to out the charges of terrorism against the four activists, but the prosecutor is trying to avoid the Supreme Court directions, and the trial is still going on.
No Tav campaign against the fast train project -which supposes to link several European countries-, had spread all over Italy, as people believe that spending millions on this project contradicts the public interests and priorities, this is on one hand.
On the other hand the protesters believe that the fast train project is associated with corruption, they also sparked another campaign against the Expo, considering that the Mafia is controlling the scene and spending the public money for individuals interests.
“Many towns were drawn because of the heavy rain, cars were found on the trees after the floods, we had a horrible infrastructure, and this is one of the important problems which the government should solve, instead of spending our money on this unnecessary project”, says one of the No Tav activists who considers corruption as the main factor that sparked the uprising in the Alps.
But also, the environmental problem which is caused by digging the tunnels in the Alps is considered as the most important disadvantages of that project. The Italian government claims that the decision of this project was made in Brussels, “the European Union pressure is the reason of this project”, this is the formal argument that had been adopted by the dependent media, and rejected by the protesters.
Mr. Engelbert Theuermann from the European External Action Service describes the tendency of Blaming Brussels as a game, and says: Sometimes there is such a tendency to hide behind Brussels as a result of encourage for holding responsibility regarding decision made by a member state.
While Mr. Luca Di Preso, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament says that the decision of the fast train project “the Tav” had been made in Brussels with the state members support. And he defends the idea of this project by focusing on the necessity of building channels between people in Europe, and by the right of moving as a fundamental right. It is difficult to move from Torino in Italy to Leon in France, says Di Preso.
But, the activists in No Tav campaign consider this project as another aspect of corruption. They say: “This decision has nothing to do with Brussels. The Italian government insists on this project, despite the fact that other European countries decided to stop spending money on it, we wonder how it is possible to link the European countries in this case”.
It seems that the authorities in Rome ready to pay any price for this project which is placed in the position of confrontation with the public interests and even health. People were illogically accused by terrorism as a governmental attempt to terrify the mass. But all the efforts that are made by the authorities just lead to one result: the spread of No Tav.