Italian police arrest far-right party leaders after anti-vax riots

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ROME – Italian police said on Sunday they had arrested 12 people, including leaders of the far-right party Forza Nuova, after clashes in Rome a day earlier over a government campaign to make the “Green Pass” mandatory. 19 for all workers. .

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Thousands of people took to the streets of the Italian capital on Saturday to oppose the measure. Some tried to outwit the police with riot gear guarding the access to Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s office, while another group broke into the headquarters of Italy’s main CGIL union and turned its offices upside down.

Overnight, dozens of protesters also tried to break into the accident and emergency unit of the Policlinico Umberto I hospital in Rome, where one of them was being held for treatment, forcing health workers to dig in. inside, emergency department chief Francesco Pugliese told reporters on Sunday.

Draghi presented the pass, a digital or paper certificate confirming that its holder received at least one dose of vaccine, tested negative, or recently recovered from the virus, in the summer to help prevent infections and encourage people to get vaccinated.

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Certificates were initially required to enter many cultural and entertainment venues, but their scope has gradually expanded. Last month, the government made it mandatory for all workers.

More than 80% of all Italians over the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated as of October 10.

Under the green pass system for workers, accepted by unions and employers, any worker who does not present a valid health certificate as of October 15 will be suspended without pay, but cannot be fired.

“It was a fascist squad attack, and it is unacceptable,” CGIL director Maurizio Landini said on Sunday, speaking with supporters outside the union’s offices in Rome.

The riots drew widespread condemnation, including from Matteo Salvini and Giorgia Meloni, the leaders of the right-wing League and Brothers of Italy parties, respectively.

Police said in a statement that 38 policemen were injured during anti-vax clashes in Rome.

Emanuele Fiano, a center-left Democratic Party lawmaker, said his party would table a parliamentary motion on Monday to dismantle groups like Forza Nuova that defend extreme neo-fascist ideologies.