Dozens of far-right demonstrators protesting the curfew clashed with riot law enforcement overnight in central Rome as Italy prepares to toughen its measures anti-coronavirus.
Some 200 masked activists belonging to the neo-fascist group Forza Nuova threw projectiles at the police and set bins on fire.
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Protesters, in Piazza del Popolo in the historic center of the capital, waited until one minute before midnight to set off fireworks in the colors of the Italian flag, wear balaclavas and launch flares and firecrackers at the police.
Seven protesters were arrested, and two police officers were injured, according to the daily
La Repubblica
.
These incidents follow the decisions taken this week to impose a curfew in three regions: those of Rome (Lazio), Milan (Lombardy) and Naples (Campania).
In Naples, incidents had already arisen the previous night, when young people opposing the curfew had confronted the police, also waving signs.
Calls on social media had urged the Romans to follow the lead of the Neapolitans and challenge the curfew, which is in effect from midnight to 5 a.m. in the capital.
20,000 new cases in 24 hours
Some 20,000 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the past 24 hours, according to the count announced by authorities on Saturday, a national record.
In total, more than 500,000 cases of infection and 37,000 deaths have been recorded in Italy, the first European country to be hit hard by the pandemic.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he did not want to impose a new, economically very trying lockdown like the one that was put in place in the spring for two months during the first wave of the epidemic.
However, he could announce new restrictions on Sunday, such as reducing the opening hours of restaurants and bars and closing public gymnasiums and swimming pools.
Piedmont (north) and Sicily (south) will impose a curfew in the next week, and other regions could do the same, unless the government decrees the measure at national level.