Journo sues Di Maio, Di Battista

(ANSA) - Palermo, November 12 - An Italian journalist is suing for defamation the leader and a bigwig of the ruling anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) for allegedly slandering Italian journalists after Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi was cleared of lying over an appointment at the weekend.
    Palermo-based Franco Viviano also proposed a class-action lawsuit by all Italian journalists against M5S leader Luigi Di Maio, who called reporters of the Raggi case "dirty low-down jackals", and former No.2 Alessandro Di Battista who called them "prostitutes and hacks".
    The M5S have long had a confrontational stance with most of the the Italian media but observers said their invective has now reached new heights after Raggi was acquitted saying two years of "mud-slinging" had ended.
    Viviano said "I've been doing this job for decades, also risking a lot, but always to inform the public.
    "Therefore I have decided to sue Luigi Di Maio and Alessandro Di Battista for the offensive remarks towards journalists who still believe in this work".
    He added: "tomorrow we will promote a class action lawsuit against those who denigrate and offend all honest journalists".