Italian police on Wednesday
arrested 24 Veneto separatists suspected of crimes that include
criminal association for terrorism and subversion of the
democratic order.
The people arrested included former MP Franco Rocchetta,
the founder of the Liga Veneta (Veneto League) separatist party.
Police seized a tractor that they said the suspects had
unsuccessfully tried to turn into a sort of tank by attaching a
canon to it for an attention-grabbing protest in Venice's St
Mark's Square.
The economic crisis has increased support for independence
in the northeastern region of Veneto, where many blame central
government for bleeding local businesses dry with high taxation.
Last month separatists organized an unofficial referendum
in which an overwhelming majority of participants voted in
favour of leaving Italy.
Organizers said some two million people took part in the
poll, but this figure has been challenged by many critics.
The Liga Veneta was a founding member of Northern League,
a federation of regionalist parties.
The League has recently upped its drive for greater
autonomy for wealthy northern regions and started calling for
outright independence again, the original demand of its early
years.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
