ABSTRACT
In February, 1999 a large and boisterous group of unemployed workers organized a demonstration in the southern Italian city of Naples. Though their physical appearance was not particularly notable, their location and demands were extraordinary. The rally took place outside a small African consulate where the unemployed were petitioning to become citizens of Gabon. Their leader explained that non-EU nationals were inscribed on special affirmative action lists that facilitated their acquisition of jobs. ‘The state gives rights and prerogatives to those from far away but forgets about the citizens of the south. We are neither racists nor xenophobes. We just want to have equal opportunities.’ 1
