360Italy's general strike fills more than 40 cities
Tens of thousands of students and workers marched in more than 40 Italian cities on Friday, 30 October, during a 24-hour general strike over living costs and military spending. Most marches were peaceful. In Rome, a breakaway group built barricades and set bins alight near the Colosseum, and police used water cannon. Eight people were detained.
Italy saw one of its biggest days of protest in a year on Friday, 30 October, when the grassroots union USB called a 24-hour general strike.
Tens of thousands of people, most of them students and workers, marched in more than 40 cities. They protested against the rising cost of living, rearmament in Europe and higher military spending.
Most of the marches passed peacefully. In Rome, a group of about 300 people broke away from the main march and headed towards the Colosseum. They built barricades from rubbish bins, set bins and electric scooters on fire and threw bottles and other objects at riot police. Eight demonstrators were detained.
Police used water cannon to stop a large group trying to reach parliament, and also used water cannon on students and activists near the prefecture in Turin.
The government deployed 500 soldiers alongside police, and closed squares near parliament. The Colosseum changed its entrance and ticket arrangements the next day as a precaution.
The strike was the first big test of a security decree adopted after earlier clashes this month.
Sources: Euronews · Wanted in Rome · AsiaOne · ANSA.