VATICAN: SCUFFLES BREAK OUT IN CROWD AS PEOPLE WAIT TO BUY LIMITED EDITION OF EURO VATICAN COINS

Record ID: 649224

  • Title: VATICAN: SCUFFLES BREAK OUT IN CROWD AS PEOPLE WAIT TO BUY LIMITED EDITION OF EURO VATICAN COINS
  • Date: 10th April 2003
  • Summary: (EU) VATICAN CITY (APRIL 10, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV VATICAN CITY WITH POLICE CAR IN FOREGROUND AND QUEUE IN BACKGROUND 0.03 2. SLV KNAPSACKS, BLANKETS, BAGS AND FOLD-AWAY STOOL AND PEOPLE BEHIND BARRICADE 0.09 3. WIDE OF CROWD 0.14 4. SLV WOMAN NOT FEELING WELL BEING LIFTED OVER WOODEN BARRICADE BY POLICE AND BEING ESCORTED AWAY 0.29 5. MV PEOPLE WAITING IN CROWD 0.32 6. PAN UP TO MAN SITTING ON SEAT WITH BLANKET 0.37 7. SCU SOUNDBITE) (English) GERMAN MAN, MAX, SAYING: "I arrived from Germany yesterday, I have been sitting here and slept here, and now we are waiting for the Vatican coins." 0.47 8. WIDE OF HUGE CROWD 0.52 9. SLV POLICE OFFICERS LINKING HANDS TO HOLD BACK CROWD 0.57 10. CLOSE OF LINKED POLICE HANDS 1.01 11. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN MAN, PATRIZIO, SAYING: "I am a collector. However, if I have any extras I'll swap them."(CROWD JEERS AT HIM, INSINUATING HE IS LYING) 1.08 12. MV SECURITY ON WALKIE TALKIES 1.12 13. CLOSE OF GLOVED HAND PUSHING BACK PERSON 1.14 14. SLV CROWD BREAKING AWAY FROM POLICE/ POLICE UNABLE TO HOLD BACK CROWD 1.25 15. VARIOUS, MAN MAKING A RUN FOR IT BUT POLICE CATCHING HIM AND PULLING MAN BACK, PEOPLE BREAKING AWAY AND JUMPING WOODEN BARRIERS 1.38 16. WIDE OF POLICE HOLDING BACK CROWD 1.41 17. CLOSE OF POLICEMEN'S LEGS 1.45 18. MV CROWD 1.47 19. SLV SWISS GUARDS STANDING 1.56 20. VARIOUS, POLICE TRYING TO HOLD BACK CROWD/ ARGUING WITH MAN/ CROWD PUSHING THROUGH (4 SHOTS) 2.19 21. SLV ELDERLY WOMAN IN CROWD 2.27 22. CLOSE OF CLOTHES ON THE GROUND / PAN UP TO PEOPLE 2.35 23. SLV VATICAN GATE WITH CROWD BEHIND WOODEN BARRIERS AND POLICE OFFICERS. 2.42 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th April 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: VATICAN CITY
  • Reuters ID: LVABA5RMJBEQQ9W5M8IUGRAJ6XB8
  • Story Text: Scuffles have broken out outside the Vatican as
    thousands of people, many of them in line for more than 24
    hours, waited to enter the Holy Sees gate to buy a limited
    edition of Vatican euro coins.



    Thousands of people on Thursday (April 10, 2003) crowded
    the gates to the Vatican to buy a limited edition of Vatican euro
    coins.

    Tension rose as a number of people pushed and shoved to
    get to the front of the queue. Several people had to be taken
    away by ambulances during the night and in the morning.

    One man came all the way from Germany to get his coin: "I
    arrived from Germany yesterday, I have been sitting here and I
    slept here, and now we are waiting for the Vatican coins",
    said Max.

    Italian and Vatican police forces linked hands near one of
    the Vatican entrances to hold back the 150-metre long line of
    people chanting let us in.

    Many of the people in the crowd were unemployed Italians
    and down-and-out immigrants hoping to resell the coins to
    collectors at a large profit.

    "I am a collector. However, if I have any extras I'll swap
    them", said Italian Patrizio, to the jeering of the crowd
    behind him insinuating he was lying.

    Police, backed up by Vatican fire brigades, had to hold
    up wooden barricades to stop them from collapsing under the
    crush of people.

    The Vatican had a second edition of coins commemorating
    the 25th anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul minted
    after the first edition sold out immediately in March of 2002.

    The sets of eight coins of different denominations
    depicting the pope were being sold for 15 euros, but could be
    resold for hundreds of euros. A separate set which includes a
    silver medallion was being sold for 78 euros and was expected
    to fetch an even higher price.

    Many of the sets were already reserved ahead of time,
    fuelling the tension even more.


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