ITALY: POLICE SEPARATE RIGHT AND LEFT WING STUDENTS OUTSIDE ROME UNIVERSITY DURING NATIONWIDE STRIKE

Record ID: 451057

  • Title: ITALY: POLICE SEPARATE RIGHT AND LEFT WING STUDENTS OUTSIDE ROME UNIVERSITY DURING NATIONWIDE STRIKE
  • Date: 6th February 1970
  • Summary: LEFT WING DEMONSTRATORS ENTERING UNIVERSITY; POLICE STAND BY; DEMONSTRATORS SCUFFLE WITH PHOTOGRAPHER; EXTRA POLICE ARRIVE IN JEEPS; RIGHT WING STUDENTS GIVING NAZI SALUTE; POLICE HOLDING DEMONSTRATORS BACK; PUTTING DEMONSTRATORS INTO VAN. Initials JB/V/PW/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 21st February 1970 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA7RUZIRZ3M4HV0SBBLT4XU7KTD
  • Story Text: IN ITALY, POLICE HAVE HAD TO SEPARATE RIGHT WING AND LEFT WING STUDENTS AT ROME UNIVERSITY DURING A TWO-HOUR NATIONWIDE STRIKE. MILLIONS OF WORKERS WENT ON STRIKE PARALYSING THE COUNTRY FOR TWO HOURS. THE STRIKE WAS IN PROTEST AGAINST ALLEGED POLICE REPRESSION. RIOT POLICE WERE CALLED IN THE UNIVERSITY WHEN STUDENTS BEGAN FIGHTING AND HURLING ROCKS AT EACH OTHER.

    ABOUT A THOUSAND LEFT WING STUDENTS AND WORKERS STAGED DEMONSTRATION AT THE UNIVERSITY AGAINST ALLEGED POLICE REPRESSION AND DEMANDING A UNIVERSITY "OF THE PEOPLE." LATER MORE THAN 2-HUNDRED RIGHT WING STUDENTS CAME OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY AND TAUNTED THE LEFT WING STUDENTS. THE TWO GROUPS BEGAN FIGHTING AND POLICE MOVED IN AND FORCED THE RIGHT WING STUDENTS BACK INTO THE UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS. ABOUT 50 YOUTHS WERE DETAINED.

    AT RALLIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS THROUGHOUT ITALY IT WAS CLAIMED THAT 9-THOUSAND WORKERS HAD BEEN CHARGED UNDER OUTDATED LAWS IN REVENGE FOR THE BIG FINANCIAL BENEFITS THEY HAD GAINED IN STRIKES IN THE AUTUMN. THE UNIONS ARE DEMANDING A GENERAL AMNESTY FOR THOSE CHARGED.

    THE STRIKE CLOSED FACTORIES, SCHOOLS, POST OFFICES AND BROUGHT PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO A HALT. UNIONS FIXED A TWO-HOUR MAXIMUM STOPPAGE TIME AND SOME PUBLIC EMPLOYEES STOPPED FOR ONLY HALF AN HOUR. THIS WAS ITALY'S THIRD GENERAL STRIKE WITHIN A YEAR.

    MEANWHILE ITALY'S CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT GOVERNMENT IS PREPARING TO RESIGN AFTER ALL FOUR CENTRE-LEFT PARTIES HAVE AGREED TO OPEN FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS ON A NEW COALITION GOVERNMENT. THE PREMIER, SIGNOR MARIANO RUMOR, IS EXPECTED TO TENDER HIS RESIGNATION SHORTLY.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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