Student protests paralyze city centers in Italy

[Joanne98]

Source: WP

ROME -- Police vans and lines of officers in riot gear are blocking access to much of Rome's historic center to keep thousands of student protesters from reaching Parliament.

Lawmakers on Tuesday are voting on a contested reform bill many students and professors say will give the private sector too much involvement in the state university system. They claim funding cuts means faculty positions are going unfilled.

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."

Police blockades in Rome prevented several lines of marchers from converging on the square outside the Chamber of Deputies and blocked bus and tram routes.

Elsewhere, police and protesters briefly clashed.




Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/30/AR2010113001368.html

[Joanne98]

1. Student protests turn violent in Rome

Source: AP

ROME (AP) — Italian students angry at 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 protesters reaching Parliament.

There were no reports of serious injuries or damage.

Lawmakers on Tuesday are voting on a 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 are going 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.



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hP0gwwf6GjLrbQtIYl0_Q39ax6yQ?docId=5ce494c9f7784456898454f1cec170d7

[xchrom]

2. i can well imagine students are angry -- especially if it means

that school is then effectively out of reach.

not a good way for a civilization to treat it's future.

[leveymg]

3. "Violent"? That's less mayhem than usual after the Univ of MD basketball team wins a home game.

We know our violence in America, and that ain't it.