Land invasion, domestic violence, and damage: these are the crimes charged to eight activists who were part of the Sa Barracca de su Padru protest and participated in demonstrations against the construction of the Terna electrical substation in the Selargius countryside, a hub for the Tyrrhenian Link system.
The notice of conclusion of the investigation conducted by prosecutors Emanuele Secci and Danilo Tronci was served this morning, a year and a half after the area was cleared on November 20, 2024 , by riot police, who intervened at the request of the electricity company that was supposed to carry out the connection work for the disputed infrastructure.
The defendants, all represented by lawyer Giulia Lai, are between 33 and 59 years old and come from various parts of Sardinia: from Sassari and Quartu, via Alghero, Sadali, Muravera, Gonnostramatza, San Nicolò Gerrei, and Settimo San Pietro. Along with others, they had led the "olive tree protest," formed to oppose the construction of the power plant, which would have entailed the expropriation of private land and the eradication of olive trees.
Terna took possession of the land in March 2024. And the protests intensified: a permanent barracks had been built. This led to accusations of land invasion. Furthermore, the activists are accused of cutting and damaging the fences installed by the company to hinder the workers.
"On July 7th, hundreds of Sardinian citizens occupied the land that was about to be expropriated 'for public use' by a private company, to cover one of the most important agricultural production areas in the Cagliari hinterland with concrete," explains the Libertade Committee. For six months, it had been "a peaceful struggle, shared by thousands of people from around the world who expressed their solidarity and outrage at the arrogant actions of the Italian State and the complicity of local and regional institutions." The massive eviction began on November 20th. Tensions were reported, but ultimately there were no clashes. Now the investigation is closed, and the eight activists face trial. Therefore, the Libertade Association calls on "all those who shared this struggle and all those who want to live in a Sardinia free from colonial imposition" to "demonstrate their solidarity with those under investigation, ensuring that the struggle can continue together, even inside the Court."