A couple of weeks later, it emerged that some of the victims were American. The three nightly newscasts then showed somewhat more attention to the issue of police brutality, running reports that included footage of the blood splashed on the floors and walls of the school (ABC, 8/8/01; CBS and NBC 8/11/01). CBS distinguished itself poorly again by introducing its follow-up report with excuses: "However provoked the Italian police were during the rioting around last month's summit in Genoa, their behavior has become the subject of an embarrassing domestic inquiry in Italy."

Embarrassing is one word for it. Amnesty International found a few others, saying that police at the summit seemed to show "scant concern" for human rights (The Wire, September 2001). Amnesty characterized the arrests at the school as illegal and cited reports that detainees were "slapped, kicked, punched and spat on and subjected to verbal abuse, sometimes of an obscene sexual nature.. deprived of food, water and sleep for lengthy periods, made to line up with their faces against the wall and remain for hours spread-eagled, and beaten if they failed to maintain this position."

In addition, "some were apparently threatened with death and, in the case of female detainees, rape." Detainees also reported being denied prompt access to lawyers and medical care.