Thousands of Italians Rebel Against ‘Banker’s Government’

MILAN (Reuters) – Thousands of Italians took to the streets in several cities on Thursday to protest against what they called a “bankers’ government” led by economist Mario Monti, and there were clashes with police.

Students in Italy’s financial capital Milan threw firecrackers at police trying to prevent them approaching the Bocconi university, which is chaired by Monti and has become a symbol for the new executive of technocrats he has formed to tackle Italy’s debt crisis.

Police responded by charging the students with batons. One journalist was injured by a firecracker, police sources said.

The students also threw eggs and fake dollar banknotes at the building of the Italian banking association. “We don’t want the banks to rule” and “Monti’s government is not the solution,” the students chanted.

Monti’s government, sworn in on Wednesday, set out the measures it intends to take in the upper house of parliament on Thursday before seeking a confidence vote at 1930 GMT.

Monti said that Italy faced a serious emergency which could help decide the future of the European Union. He said the three pillars of the government’s policy would be budgetary rigor, economic growth and social fairness.

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Source: Reuters

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