News / International
Global 'day of rage' turns ugly in Rome
16 Oct 2011 at 07:15hrs | Views
ROME - Hundreds of hooded demonstrators yesterday clashed with police in some of the worst violence in the Italian capital for years, setting cars on fire and breaking shop and bank windows.
Police repeatedly fired tear gas and water cannons in attempts to disperse protesters but the clashes with hard-core demonstrators continued hours after tens of thousands of people in Rome joined a global "day of rage" against bankers and politicians.
Galvanised by the Occupy Wall Street movement, the protests began in New Zealand, rippled east to Europe and were expected to return to their starting point in New York.
They coincided with the Group of 20 meeting in Paris, where finance ministers and central bankers from the major economies were holding crisis talks.
Discontent is running high in Italy over high unemployment, political paralysis and E60 billion (R650bn) of austerity measures that have raised taxes and the cost of health care.
The violence at times resembled urban guerrilla warfare as protesters hurled rocks, bottles and fireworks at police, who responded by repeatedly charging the demonstrators.
At least two demonstrators and 30 policemen were injured.
The demonstration began peacefully but suddenly turned violent when hundreds of hooded radicals known as "black blocs", who had infiltrated the group, set cars and bins on fire.
Police repeatedly fired tear gas and water cannons in attempts to disperse protesters but the clashes with hard-core demonstrators continued hours after tens of thousands of people in Rome joined a global "day of rage" against bankers and politicians.
Galvanised by the Occupy Wall Street movement, the protests began in New Zealand, rippled east to Europe and were expected to return to their starting point in New York.
They coincided with the Group of 20 meeting in Paris, where finance ministers and central bankers from the major economies were holding crisis talks.
Discontent is running high in Italy over high unemployment, political paralysis and E60 billion (R650bn) of austerity measures that have raised taxes and the cost of health care.
The violence at times resembled urban guerrilla warfare as protesters hurled rocks, bottles and fireworks at police, who responded by repeatedly charging the demonstrators.
At least two demonstrators and 30 policemen were injured.
The demonstration began peacefully but suddenly turned violent when hundreds of hooded radicals known as "black blocs", who had infiltrated the group, set cars and bins on fire.
Source - Reuters
