Violent riots broke out in Rome.
Thousands demonstrated against new corona rules and clashed with the police.
Rome - Protests against new corona rules in Italy led to sometimes brutal clashes with the police in Rome.
Several thousand demonstrators had gathered in the capital on Saturday and marched through the streets.
They kept clashing with the police.
Some scenes followed that resembled street battles.
Corona protests escalate in Italy: “city war” in Rome
During the violent clashes, the police cracked down on them and used batons, water cannons and pepper spray.
The demonstrators, however, threw chairs and fireworks - they also tried to break through barriers.
Videos of the scenes are circulating on the net.
The office rooms were then devastated, as reported by the Italian newspaper
Corriere della Sera
.
The newspaper reports on a "city war" that started with a demonstration in the city center at 3 pm.
More than 10,000 people are said to have been there.
In the early evening, demonstrators stormed the headquarters of the largest Italian trade union, the CGIL.
Amateur footage showed them attacking the security guards and policemen with sticks and flagpoles and then pushing through the door into the building.
Escalation of violence in Rome: "Organized act of fascist violence"
Politicians reacted in shock to the scenes.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi condemned the violence in the streets, stressing that trade unions are guarantors of democracy and workers' rights and that any attempt at intimidation should be severely punished.
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Protest participants and police officers clash during a demonstration against the Corona health passport.
© Cecilia Fabiano / dpa
CGIL General Secretary Maurizio Landini called the attack an “organized act of fascist violence, an attack on democracy and the whole world of work that we will fight off.
Nobody should believe that they can push our country back into the fascist era. "
In Italy, further measures against the corona pandemic will come into force next week.
From October 15th, every employee in the private or public sector must have a so-called “green passport”, ie proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test that has to be paid for.
The critics of this passport and opponents of the vaccination recently raised the mood against the measure.
At the same time, however, this ensures that easing will be possible from Monday: Cinemas, theaters and concert halls can once again be used to full capacity.
Discos can also reopen.
Entry to all events is only available with the “Green Pass”.
(dpa / rjs)
