I’ve got to admit I was never a fan of Norman Wisdom, pratfalls and mugging not being my thing. But then again … there was something interesting about his whole screen persona and his amazing success.

Was he a trailblazer for freedom of expression? Did he represent liberty versus establishment authoritarianism? Hmmm. Charlie Chaplin, George Formby, Michael Crawford’s “Frank Spencer” (!), and Norman Wisdom’s “Norman Pitkin”.

Apparently with Wisdom it was actually more than a screen construct. According to Wikipedia, when he was working in a telephone centre during the Second World War he came into regular contact with Winston Churchill and was once reprimanded for cheekily calling him “Winnie”. Nice.

I can even see an echo of Wisdom’s “Gump” character – tight, rumpled suit jacket and mangled tie – in the archetypal punk look (Johnny Rotten, Richard Hell). Maybe punk’s anti-establishment postures unconsciously took something from comic rebels like Norman Pitkin. (Please discuss…).

And then there’s the famous matter of his popularity in Stalinist countries like Albania and China. Obviously “physical” comedians like “Mr Bean” and Benny Hill have always travelled well, but with Norman Wisdom the adoption of the lovable rebel figure in authoritarian countries was also political. He supposedly represented something “acceptable” to Communist rulers about the supposedly corrupt, bourgeois West.

Which is all deeply ironic. Albania would apparently allow only his films from the non-Communist world to be shown in the country. Everything else was banned.

Present-day authoritarian countries are notoriously selective about what they will and won’t allow their populations to watch, write about or do. For example, in Syria a 19-year-old blogger called Tal al-Mallohi has been in prison without charge or trial since last year apparently because the authorities are enraged by her poetry and other online musings which contain references to Syria’s draconian restrictions on freedom of expression (see her blog: Arabic only).

There are new reports that she is being held on “espionage” grounds. We’ll see. Please, meanwhile, take action for Tal here.

Syria has a nasty record of jailing people who dare to voice forbidden topics online – people like Kareem ‘Arabji, a blogger jailed last year for moderating an internet youth forum (he’s since been amnestied), and people like ‘Allam Fakhour, Ayham Saqr, Diab Siriyeh, Hussam ‘Ali Mulhim, Maher Isber Ibrahim, ‘Omar ‘Ali al-‘Abdullah and Tareq al-Ghorani – all of whom have been sentenced to long prison sentences for their part in developing an online youth discussion group and publishing online articles advocating democratic reform. Please take action for these men here.

I somehow doubt whether Tal al-Mallohi and her fellow Syrian detainees have watched many Norman Wisdom films. But if they ever do, I reckon they’d get a glimpse of what Syria is trying to suppress.

On the news of state-owned channel Rai Uno the presenter announced that the Italian Prime Minister had been “absolved” in the trial that found David Mills – husband of former British cabinet minister Tessa Jowell – accused of taking a bribe from the Italian politician.

The contention grew out of the fact that Berlusconi had not been absolved, the trial had been statute barred. This was the outcome of an intense campaign to reform the justice system in Italy, which succeeded in indicting the bribed but not the briber.

The last step was to make sure that public opinion was steered in the right direction.

At that very moment Augusto Minzolini – editor of Rai Uno’s main news program – became Arianna’s target, as he was personifying what was wrong with Italian journalism and information at the time.

This is how the Facebook group “Dignity for Journalists and Respect for citizens was born. Now this very group has gathered around 15,000 signatures calling for the rectification of the news story regarding Berlusconi’s trial.

Today, July 1st, the netizens of Italy and allies of Valigia Blu – will be taking to the streets – virtual and real – to protest against a new law, known as Alfano Law or “gag law”, an anti-phone tapping bill already “greenlighted”on June 12 by the Italian Senate. The penalties for those who violate this law are severe: fines of up to € 450.000 for editors or even detention for up to one month for journalists.

It was put into place to prohibit the leaking of phone and wire-tapped conversations on criminal probes to mainstream media, as well as online media. The bill is now due to receive final approval from the lower house of parliament or Chamber of Deputies. The steering continues.

Many wiretapped conversations have led to a widespread disillusionment with the Prime Minister – known as Il Cavaliere, the Knight, due to his government-endowed title – and his apparatchiks.

The main protest – called on by the National Press Federation – will take place in Piazza Navona in Rome, but it will also flow through the channels of online activism. It will be live streamed on websites such as YouDem.tv, supported by the Democratic Party, i.e. the main opposition body. Other websites, such as Diritto di Critica, are closely following and supporting the protest.

A protest against Berlusconi in Piazza del Popolo, Rome.

Arianna doesn’t have a political background. She was previously an organiser involved with the renowned International Festival of Journalism in Perugia, and is now a key figure in this movement. Arianna took the time to explain to OWNI the reasons behind her movement’s momentum.

All citizens should revolt against a law that shackles magistrates and gags information

“All citizens should revolt against a law that shackles magistrates and gags information”, Arianna elucidates, underlining the lack of political interest attached to this type of activism. “I have been mobilised by the right to know and to freedom of press [...] In a country stained by the prime minister’s gross conflict of interest we act as watchdogs, not just for information but also public services which at this moment are in the hands of the various political parties”, she adds.

“I don’t see Valigia Blu as an organised movement. Or even as a movement in itself. It grew within social networks like Facebook. Our “Dignity and respect” group has more than 200.000 members, the fan page has 16000 fans, whereas the website in itself has no more than 2000 subscribers. We are merely committed citizens.”

Wiretapping opponents mostly argue that these leaks deprive individuals of their right to privacy: “When it comes to public figures, everything about them should be known. If there is a need to protect those who, though involved in tapped conversations, are innocent, one can resort to hearing excerpts. The civil defence and the public prosecutor can decide, along with an independent third-party judge, what material should not be published. Privacy is more often than not used as an excuse. This bill is set to protect the ruling class and the shady practices of white collar workers. Not to mention depriving magistrates of one of the main tools of investigation against organised crime”.

In the meantime a parallel current has emerged within Valigia Blu. If the bill passes their pledge is to violate it. “Arrestateci tutti“, they say.

Put us all in prison

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The interview was conducted by Adriano Farano

Pictures Credit: CC FlickR lo spacciatore di lenti

[MAJ] 20/02/2010 > Our colleagues from 2-ufer translated the article in german : danke /-)

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Italy, Germany, Great-Britain, Spain, Bulgary … Internet control and censorship is getting organised. In France, the government says we wouldn’t have to worry – Are we sure about that ? asks Sandrine Bélier, the 36 years-old Green Member of the European Parliament.

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When I expressed my fears about the potential abuses in terms of surveillance and their effects on civil liberties and individual freedom, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, currently in charge of digital economy in Sarkozy’s government, wanted to give me reassurances : “France is not China”.

FRANCE : from HADOPI to LOPPSI

In fact, French government tries to reinforce its control of the web. The HADOPI law, adopted few months ago, attempts to control and regulate Internet access as a means to encourage compliance with copyright laws. “HADOPI” is the government agency created by the eponymous law. This agency will be in charge of setting up the so-called three-strike sanction, or graduated response, which sees consumers disconnected after a number of notification letters warning that they are violating copyright.

Despite a strong mobilisation from bloggers, journalists and web activists, the law passed, and we are now waiting for it to come into effect … Right now, the LOPPSI bill is triggering additional reactions. LOPPSI is a bundle of repressive measures concerning video surveillance cameras, traffic control or intelligence services.This bill allows French Home Office to blacklist illegal websites i.e. providing child pornography. Internet service providers will then have to block those sites.

The European Parliament strikes back

“France and Europe are not China”. One question then : how should we explain the conflict about the amendment 138 to the Telecom Package, also known as the “anti-Hadopi amendment” in the European Parliament ?

This amendment was finally adopted and says that “measures taken regarding end-users’ access to or use of services and applications through electronic communications networks shall respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons, including in relation to privacy, freedom of expression and access to information and the right to a judgement by an independent and impartial tribunal…” However, at the end of 2009, the Council of the European Union (under France’s pressure) made some considerable efforts to erase from the 138th amendment the expressions “exceptional circumstances” “presumption of innocence” and ” impartial procedure”. It also added multiple exceptions to civil liberties. Why? Some said that the Council aimed at forcing an anti web-control Parliament to compromise. I see it as a bad omen that shows a will to restrain free use of the web, with no warranties to secure Internet users’ rights. I see it as a serious threat to freedom of information, to freedom of expression and to personal data confidentiality.

Demonstrations in Sofia

If France has HADOPI and LOPPSI, Bulgaria has its burden too. Hundreds of citizens demonstrated in Sofia, shouting “Bulgaria is not Big Brother, 2009 is not 1984!”. The AFP says that this demonstration gathered people from 38 NGOs protesting against the adoption of a bill that “authorizes the surveillance of Internet and mobile communications for people that are suspected of an offense or a crime punishable by at least two years’ emprisonment. The police will be able to do so without asking the permission to a judge. Supposed to strengthen the fight on crime, this proceeding is made to speed up all the process of putting someone under surveillance”.

Mobilization in Spain

In Spain, citizens are protesting against the Government since a bill on “sustainable economy” plans the creation of an “intellectual property commission”. This commission would have the power to block websites that allow to download music, movies and videogames. The citizen response was immediate : bloggers, journalists, artists and people working on the Internet gathered around a “Manifesto for the defense of online fundamental rights”. The text was published on more than 58.000 blogs in a few hours !

The signatories agreed that “copyright cannot be placed above citizens’ fundamental rights like privacy rights and freedom of expression. These rights cannot be suspended outside justice”.

Italy : threats to video broadcasting

In Italy, Berlusconi’s governement initially proposed to extend to the Internet the same restricting rules applying to television. Those rules are strict: to broadcast something, you have to get the authorization of the communication ministry! The targets? Online broadcast platforms like Youtube or Dailymotion and all the independent webTVs… Officially, it is not censorship, just a way of balancing rights and obligations… [The proposal has been watered down in current days after wide protests among activists and the Communication authority itself].

ACTA : secret negotiations

“Europe is not China”… But what shall we then again think about the ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) top secret negotiations ? European countries are part of the negotiations, but not China. Leaks from some confidential documents clearly states that one of this treaty’s goals is to lead the states to adopt repression measures against file sharing like the three-strike sanction or Internet filtering.

The European Parliament, in its 11th march 2009 resolution, asked for more transparency on this negotiations. We haven’t been heard yet. This lack of transparency is particularly worrying if not intolerable and against the European Union democratic values.

Europe and France are not China. But we need to guarantee our citizens and web users the protection against all potential abuses and detrimental to civil liberties and individual freedom. Citizens have to be protected against technologies and public or private organisations that can monitor their online activities.

I agree with Tim Berners Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, when he states :
“I want to know if I look up a whole lot of books about some form of cancer that that’s not going to get to my insurance company and I’m going to find my insurance premium is going to go up by 5% because they’ve figured I’m looking at those books”

It would have been fairer and more reassuring to secure web users’ rights first. This is not our governments perspective. And at the time when French Parliament debate on LOPPSI, we created an Internet Core Group at the European Parliament. Its goal is to put forward an “Internet Bill of Rights” to the European Commission.

It would have been better to start by this move. But – and it’s not some unrealistic thought – I fear that our governments’ purpose is not to secure those rights today.

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» The original article (in French) : Hadopi, Loppsi : les censeurs du net s’organisent

» Translation by Guillaume Ledit (and a litte bit by Adriano Farano) /-)

» Illustration by Loguy

» About Owni