Student Protests Turn Violent in Rome
- Posted on December 1, 2010 at 8:45am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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ROME (AP) — Students protesting state university budget cuts clashed Tuesday with riot police who used tear gas and police vans to seal off much of Rome’s historic center to stop the demonstrators from reaching Parliament.
There were no reports of serious injuries or damage. Less violent protests were staged in cities across the country.
The demonstrations came hours before lawmakers approved the contested reform bill many students and professors say will give the private sector too much involvement in the state university system. Protesters claim the funding cuts mean faculty positions will go unfilled.
The protests turned briefly violent as students – about 3,000 in all with a core group of about 200 – poured onto the main thoroughfare of the historic center, throwing eggs, tomatoes and smoke bombs at police.
At one point, protesters tried to overturn a police van. Riot police charged after them, using tear gas.
The heavy police presence, designed to prevent the protesters from reaching the square outside the Chamber of Deputies, blocked bus and tram routes for hours and jammed traffic on the main roads leading into the center.
Romans and tourists alike were further inconvenienced when the students then marched on Rome’s main train station and occupied several tracks, the ANSA news agency reported.
Despite the problems, many onlookers said they understood the students’ concerns.
“Given the situation, I‘m hoping for a new ’68,” said Nicola Roncolli, a 67-year-old retiree, referring to the massive student protests of 1968. He said his detours around a rain-soaked city center were a “necessary evil” and that he would have be marching alongside the students except that he’s not well.
After the clashes, while the protesters retreated the eggshells, squashed tomatoes and other garbage remained on the streets.
“They want to keep us out of sight because they know they’re wrong,” said protester Giacomo Luni, a student at Rome’s La Sapienza university.
Premier Silvio Berlusconi brushed off the protests, saying “serious” students were home studying. He defended the reforms as necessary to modernize education in Italy.
Similar protests snarled other cities, including Milan, Turin, Naples, Venice, Palermo and Bari. In Genoa, students protested under the slogan “they block our future, we block the cities.”
A video posted on YouTube reportedly shows similar violence in Bologna, Italy:
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Comments (59)
smack1953
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 1:07pmThis is what happens with entitlements. People really believe that other people should pay for their “rights”. Bunch of silly, spoiled babies.
Report Post »jbl8199
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 12:35pmComing to a town near you.
Report Post »powhatan
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 12:26pmwhat non-creative people these kids are…so they think they have no right to education if the state won’t give them one..fools all….How about educating themselves…..It is the failure of us parents for letting our kids get an education from the state (socialists) all of these years…we have omitted critical thinking……look at the damage…If only we knew, and ow that we do, what shall we do about it? EDUCATE our children ourselves!
Report Post »LuigiCorelli
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 11:45amI remember a moving company called “Starving Students”. They were neither starving, nor were they students. Look for more of these “student” protests. I remember in the late 60′s when there were riots on college campuses. I was right in the middle of a few. They were not organized by students. There are professional aggitators out there who do this all the time.
Report Post »I live in Mexifornia (love that name!) and I really think costs for indoctrination centers, er… universities, will go way up so that American students can pay for the assembly line production of liberal voters, er…poor unfortunate refugees from impoverished nations.
ClockKing
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 11:43amI hope they get all the socialism they want, then when the society is like the old Soviet Union or China, they’ll find out what it means to stand in long lines to get 1 loaf of bread or a bag of beans. And protests of any kind will be met with severe over-the-top force.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 11:19amTalk about the cost of EDUCATION going up? GET ON THE PHONE people.. Dream Act vote eminent! CALL and tell these people to vote NO! We sent them to DC to CUT spending, not INCREASE socialist programs that will cost BILLIONS! DO TI NOW, or don’t complain later. http://michellemalkin.com/2010/11/18/dream-act-scorecard-the-gop-senate-fence-sitters/
Report Post »Cuthalu
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:49amThey are all young and completely clueless.
Report Post »TAKEITBACK
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:45amThey will be back in mommy’s basement playing video games and smoking dope as soon as the weather gets cold.
Report Post »xm-1774u
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:28amwith unimployment running out and social security being cut this is a very scary time here
Report Post »i do not believe the have nots will be civil glen is right agean i see it coming very soon i have prepped
as best as i can next year is going to be really bad i see us falling apart right now
Harmony
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:23amDemonstration is legal but turning violent is not. We need stricter protester anti-violence laws in America because of the severity of bad things happening. How about huge fines and a felony record? With all the cameras and cell phones it isn’t hard to determine guilt.
Report Post »blacksmith
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 1:33pmWe have so many laws now it’s hard to know when your breaking one. Stick to the Constitution. Any new law that is passed will eventually used against US. The new law would be about safety then it will turn into control.
Report Post »stix_n_stones
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:18amoh no the private sector will have more control. hey that would mean the protesters would have more control. maybe that would be a good thing then a person who wants to become a c.p.a for example wont have to take underwater basket weaving and more finance classes.
Report Post »Have-Gun-Will-Travel
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:12amcoming to a inter city near you when the entitlements run out
Report Post »and yes even to the rural areas where welfare is high.
Food
Water
Firearms
Ammo
seeds
independentvoteril
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:11amdoesn’t seem relevant.. there is NO money.. either pay up or DON’T go to school real easy.. as for the old man who said he would be marching with the kids CUT HIM OFF of any pension funds and give them to a kids who wants to go to school for FREE.. As far as I am concerned you have time to march for FREE money you have time to WORK to pay for your education.. I know one woman in her late 50′s who is going back to school signing for loans and getting grants to get enough money for a car.. has NO intention on going to work she already applied for SSI and is going to court saying she gets headaches and can’t see.. last time the judge told her she would have to give up her drivers license.. BTW she also works a job for cash.. while those that are honest and work can’t afford to send their kids to school with the increases..
Report Post »sissykatz
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:09amYou can certainly tell by their childish behavior that they have been given everything and have never bought anything with their own money or the could not go out and be that destructive!!!!! You cannot work and earn money and aquire property and know other people did also and go destroy their things,I wonder what they are students of????? I guess they are studing to be “communitty organizers” “no sense” “no moral” “no respect for others property” their own little weapons” YEAH they will be great for Soros to recurit!!!
Report Post »norcalart
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:07amThis Socialism experiment is collapsing around the world as countries run out of other peoples money. This disease seems to effect the 30 and under crowed the most.
Report Post »WILLIAM E.
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:20amBingo !!
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:21amYes, 30 and lower, that’s correct. This muckety muck of socialism/statism can only be sold on emotion and vitriol and only then to the impatient and hot blooded. That is, people < 30.
Not all of them of course, there are level headed folks of all ages. But as a general rule, when you're young and everything is new and fresh and your emotions run high as a rule, you're very prone to believe any snake oil salesman who promises you a beautiful free ride through life because "gosh, you're a special snowflake, you deserve it". This dovetails of course with our own irresponsibility as parents to NOT raise our children as "special snowflakes" and our refusal to criticize or make them learn to earn their way as they are growing up.
Report Post »Maybe the GEESE Know More than the BEES Know
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:29amso well said GhostofJefferson!
Report Post »Eyeball
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:48amThe socialists are feeding upon themselves because they cannot continue to get something for nothing; because the government has nothing more to give.
Report Post »Speak without Fear
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:30amOh dear………liberals acting out who don’t get spoon fed….and a fresh diaper change hourly.
Getting mad at momma throwing their food….and smearing their POOH around.
Can hardly wait…….to see this in America.
Lets send them all knocking on Spook Dudes door for their handout.
Report Post »WBOB
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:15ama preview for us.
Report Post »DonaldH
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:10amWoW!!! I wonder if Beck ever gets tired of being right—- I’m sure Media Matters is really, really tired of him ALWAYS being right…. Wonder when “Spooky-dude” is gonna try to Wack Glenn…
Report Post »mankind7375
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:09am“The demonstrations came hours before lawmakers approved the contested reform bill many students and professors say will give the private sector too much involvement in the state university system.”
That is the big complaint is that they will have to figure out how to make things work on their own. That they will have to rely on themselves to make the right decisions. How lost are they, that they are protesting because the government is giving them, the private sector, control of their higher education. Talk about a addict being cut off and throwing a tantrum. We need to stop the addiction to the government taking care of us and take care of ourselves before we are, (insert EU country here), protesting cause the the country is broke and cannot steal from the workers to give to the non workers. To steal a quote, thats just my opinion I could be wrong.
Report Post »FANGS
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:01amThis is actually a great idea. Except we still have our guns. And we’ll most likely heve to use them. aww
Report Post »Lana40
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:11amFor now anyhow. Trust me, they’re thinking of ways to get rid of them as we speak.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:07am@Lana
They can’t “get rid of them”. If they “ordered” you to turn in your guns, would you?
I wouldn’t, and won’t. And I won’t bury them or hide them either. No, it doesn’t matter what “they” say in regards to any natural right I posses, I still have that right and I refuse to give up a single one of them.
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 12:18pm‘They’ won’t be taking mine.
Report Post »TrueGrit
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 12:52pmFolks
Look up ‘The Global Gun Ban’ on the web…
Hillary and Obama have said they are going forward to sign it.
No manufacturing… national registration….confiscation of ALL firearms
in all Countries…
which will supercede our Constitution.
Don’t believe me… look it up yourselves.
Wolverine
Report Post »HillBillySam1
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:01amEntitlement-seeking cry-babies of the world….Unite!!!
I’m sure that the professors played no role in stirring up these protests….since some of those “faculty positions” that will go unfilled are of no real concern for them, right?
Report Post »john seven eighteen
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 8:57amA clear case of monkey see, monkey do. This is going to be in the news for many months as other European countries fall in step with their Euro Nation brothers. Monkey see, monkey do. The students in Italy saw how the students in England reacted. Monkey see, monkey do.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 8:52amSee the plans Soros and his ilk has for us America?
Report Post »HKS
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:03amWhat was it that George Peppard on “ A Team” used to say, Oh, yes, “don’t you just love it when a plan comes together” Different George but same saying.
Report Post »Nvrforget
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 8:48amAh, those hot-blooded Italians.
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 8:54amSoon, at a theater near you.
Report Post »ADMIRAL747
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 8:56amAnd I thought only those tea partiers were violent
Report Post »->Click For Brain Enema<-
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:02amIt seems that people under 30 around the world are more susceptible to the communist disease.
Report Post »the Life Of Reilly
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:10amThis will happen in Mexiforinia when the illegals going to school on our dime, are told tuition is rising.
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:39amThank you God for the Second amendment..
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 9:54amIf you are a rich elitists and live in a big city….well all I can say is good luck…The unwashed masses you created are coming after you soon.
Just watch a movie. Gangs of New York to get a glimpse of what they do to the elitists…Your security system and bodygaurds will not help you I am afraid. Sure glad I live in Texas Yeeeeee hawwwwww
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:03amI’m always saddened by how much socialism poisons the human soul and turns us into monsters.
Report Post »CultureWarriors
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:36amSpoiled brats!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8DnA4Ro9tQ
Report Post »michael79
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 10:49amAdd your comments
Report Post »TSUNAMI-22
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 12:37pm@ MAULEMALL,
AMEN! I have my Sig P226 Navy ready and waiting. Hopefully I’ll never have to use it, but it’s comforting to know I have it if/when the SHTF.
I’d rather be judged by 12, instead of carried by 6.
Report Post »tenring
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 3:44pmGeeeee, all of those real smart professors teaching spread the wealth until it is their wealth being spread.
Report Post »LAR15
Posted on December 3, 2010 at 10:29pmI hope that none of their delicious food was harmed in this melee…
Report Post »