Italy: Rome paralyzed by anti-government protests

On April 12, anti-government protests by more than 20,000 people from social movements and far-right forces paralyzed the center of the Italian capital Rome.

A protester in Rome is detained by police. Source: Reuters

Italian press reported that the protest and march were organized by housing movements, far-right youth forces, left-wing student groups and forces against the construction of a high-speed train line running from France through northern Italy.

With the slogan of overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and demanding the removal of the reform on labor contracts and finding job opportunities for workers that Mr. Renzi is proposing, this is considered the first protest against the new government since this cabinet took office at the end of February.

The protests later turned into clashes with police in major streets in front of the labor ministry. Police sources in Rome said more than 40 protesters were arrested and 15 people were injured in clashes with police.

Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino said the violence had affected the entire city. The biggest impact of a day of protests was on tourism and commerce.

According to the Italian Fashion Federation (Federmoda), hundreds of large stores in the city center were forced to close, causing a 70% drop in sales. Prime Minister Renzi's official website was also taken down for several hours by hackers aligned with the protesters.

It was one of Italy's most violent protests in years, taking place in central Rome and with alarming levels of violence.

Italy is still in economic crisis, with unemployment at a record high of 12.9% and public debt exceeding 130% of GDP.

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