Neo-Fascists beat up students in Rome
Pastor Dale Morgan
Neo-Fascists beat up students in Rome*
By Malcolm Moore in Rome
Last Updated: 9:28PM BST 27/05/2008
A group of students were beaten by neo-Fascist activists in Rome on
Tuesday after managing to stop a far-Right rally at their university.
In the second round of extremist violence in Italy's capital in four
days, the group were attacked outside La Sapienza University after
hanging anti-Fascist banners.
The students had earlier successfully opposed Forza Nuova, a neo-Fascist
political party, from holding a rally in a university building.
However, a gang of Forza Nuova supporters staged a retaliation by
throwing rocks, injuring 10 people. Three were taken to hospital with
wounds to their heads and shoulders.
"It was a premeditated attack by a small group," said Francesco
Raparelli, a student. "They did not have their faces covered and they
were all over 40 years old, armed with rocks, belts and knives."
Gianni Alemanno, the mayor of Rome, said: "This violence has to be
condemned. There are some dangerous imbeciles in the city who must be
stopped."
Many Italians blame Silvio Berlusconi's government for fostering a
climate of hate, intolerance and xenophobia.
Paolo Ferrero, a member of the Communist Party, said: "One thing is sure
in Rome, we are in a full emergency. The problem is thanks to the
emergence of fascists. The state and the police must intervene
immediately to isolate the fascist cells."