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Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Sunday promised to punish protesters who helped escalate a rather peaceful mass rally into street fights throughout Rome.
Protesters in the region had joined Occupy Wall Street protesters to protest worldwide corruption against banks and politicians and during the protest 70 people were injured, property was damaged and garbage bins were set on fire.
Berlusconi, who barely survived a vote of confidence in his centre-right government’s economic policy on Friday says violent protesters must “be found and punished” and indicated that the rise in violent protesters was a “worrying signal.”
According to protesters the rally was going peacefully until a group of fringe protesters became destructive and violent. A group of 30 people covered their faces in black scarves and ski hats and looked for confrontation at every turn according to one protester.
After violence erupted police shot tear gas into the middle of large groups where violence was starting to rear it’s ugly head.
According to BBC News:
Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno blamed the violence on “a few thousand thugs from all over Italy, and possibly from all over Europe, who infiltrated the demonstration”.
Amidst the violence of protesters were tens of thousands who turned out to peacefully protest the countries banking and political policies.
Police say that some protesters tried to stop the angry mobs that had descended however police intervention was ultimately required in the form of tear gas, water cannons and batons, all used to fend off stones and bottles which flew freely through the air.
Are you surprised that banking and political conditions all over the world are now leading to violence? I personally think it was only a matter of time.
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Italy PM Berlusconi smacked in the face at rally
A man attacked Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi this evening at a rally, striking the 73-year-old politician with either his hand or an object and bloodying his face.
Berlusconi was knocked to the ground by the blow, and then hastily helped into a car by aides. He appeared slightly dazed after the incident, left the car immediately and attempted to climb onto it to show supporters that he was not badly injured. As Berlusconi climbs up, handlers try to shield his bloodied face from the crowd with jackets.
Berlusconi was greeting supporters in a square in Milan when the attack occurred. There were reportedly confrontations between supporters of the Italian PM and hecklers, and the BBC reports that Berlusconi addressed the detractors at the rally, saying:
“They paint me as a monster, but I don’t think I am one – firstly because I am good-looking and secondly because I’m a decent chap.”
Berlusconi was reportedly taken to a Milan hospital and is said to be under observation for 24 hours. No information was released on the extent of his injuries.
