Rome council votes to evict CasaPound

(ANSA) - Rome, January 29 - The Rome council assembly on Tuesday voted to approve a motion calling for the "immediate eviction" of far-right party CasaPound Italia from a building it has illegally occupied in the city. The motion, which calls on the interior ministry, the prefect and police chief to take action, was presented by the opposition centre-right Democratic Party (PD) while councillors for Mayor Virginia Raggi's 5-Star Movement (M5S) also voted in favour.
    Four centre-right councillors voted against. CasaPound said if the eviction went ahead it would fight it unless public housing was provided for 18 households.
    Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said all illegal squats in Rome will be evicted starting with those in buildings which have been declared dangerous because of their instability.
    Salvini said no exceptions would be made.
    CasaPound's building is not dangerous.
    The Lazio regional council whip for the 5-Star Movement (M5S), Roberta Lombardi, said "the OK to eviction of CasaPound is good, safeguarding legality has no political stripes and there can't be one of Serie A and one of Serie B. "Matteo Salvini, will you present yourself there with a bulldozer too?" after his shows of force at Roma camps.