Reactions were mixed Friday after
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said he will ''forbid access
(to) Rome's centre'' if demonstrations and riots continue to
plague the capital.
Alfano did not elaborate on his remark, made as an aside as
he briefed the Lower House on illegal immigration to Italy.
The government has come under mounting criticism recently
due to incidents of alleged police brutality against
demonstrators in an April 12 protest against housing shortages
in the capital.
An undercover police officer is facing an investigation
after he admitted trampling a young woman during the protest.
Another officer was caught on film kicking a young man who
was lying on the ground.
Police fired tear gas at hooded demonstrators who flung
eggs, firecrackers and stones, injuring some 20 officers,
according to authorities.
Banning demonstrations in Rome's city center is
"antidemocratic and wrong," said leading leftist CGIL trade
confederation, which also condemned violence within
demonstrations.
New Center Right (NCD) MP Fabrizio Cicchitto said Alfano's
words were "sacrosanct in a situation where the city is being
taken over not by peaceful demonstrations but by urban guerrilla
warfare".
SAP police union praised Alfano's stance.
"Police officers risk their lives to guarantee security to
citizens, especially to the poor, and they are committed to
ensuring the right to freely demonstrate and express dissent,"
said SAP president Gianni Tonelli.
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