Taking place today is a Europe-wide protest against the austerity measures implemented by governments and by the EU. Italians joined in and protest marches held in Milan and Turin turned violent.
In Milan, student protesters hurled eggs, tear gas canisters and stones at police. Banks and private schools have been targeted by disgruntled protesters who vented their rage at a system which, in their eyes, is leaving them without a future.
Milan’s Cattolica university was attacked by demonstrators.
In Turin, after what was a non-violent start, a policeman was seriously injured by, according to TV news reports, baseball bat wielding protesters when violence flared.
Protests are happening in most major Italian cities and towns today. There are reports of injuries in Rome, Padua and Turin.
Here’s video footage via the La Repubblica newspaper website of violence episodes in Milan today:
And another one – Milan’s Cattolica university attacked:
Violence Erupting in Italy
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
Police threw a cordon around Italy’s parliament buildings in Rome to prevent protesters from reaching them. Running battles between police and demonstrators are taking place in Rome as I write this.
A combination of the protests and a recent bout of bad weather are making getting around Italy’s capital problematic today with the central and northern areas of the city particularly affected.
Video of Violence in Rome today
Unexpected
The violence in Italy appears to have taken many by surprise.
BBC Radio 5 Live contacted me to find out what was happening in Milan and elsewhere, but I had not seen nor felt the effects of the protests personally. The violence in Milan erupted in the Porta Genova area which is on the other side of the city to where I live.
Italy’s television news is following the situations closely and there are no signs that the protests are beginning to wind down as yet.
Videos and images of the protests in Italy today can be found on the La Repubblica website: The Protests
Updates, if necessary, will be added to this post.
