Saturday, October 18, 2008

Power to il Popolo!

This morning, I ran into a real live student demonstration! I have no Italian (yet) so I couldn't understand their chants or read their painted sheets or placards or shirts but eventually I found someone to explain that they were protesting an new government initiative to privatize higher education. As in most European countries, university here is inexpensive by American standards. You pay what the government determines you can afford. Apparently the proposed reforms would make it significantly more expensive for most. But I stand to be corrected, if anyone out there knows the situation better than I do.

I took a couple of videos - one very sort, the other too long - but as I can only manage to post the shorter of the two on youtube, you're in luck! (I actually prefer the 12 minute version: so many characters, such interesting "looks"!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euaBccqqnuc

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That looks like quite the demonstration! I'd join in on it... almost like a massive street party! (with a message, of course)

--Alexander Sa. Miller

+Metropolitan SAVAS of Pittsburgh said...

You'd fit right in!