Fears of racist violence rise as gang goes on rampage in Rome
Fears of rising intolerance towards migrants in Italy grew after amasked group armed with sticks went on the rampage in a multi-ethnicRome neighbourhood, smashing shop windows while hurling abuse.
Inthe 10-minute blitz on Saturday, the group of between 10 and 20 menattacked a food shop owned by an Indian migrant and two stores operatedby Bangladeshis, disappearing before police arrived.
The assaultcomes as Silvio Berlusconi’s administration launches a crackdown onillegal immigration, and days after a mob firebombed Gypsy camps inNaples. Last month crowds at Rome’s town hall welcomed newly-electedmayor Gianni Alemanno with fascist salutes.
Alemanno, a former neo-fascist, was voted in after promising toexpel 20,000 migrants from Rome he said had broken the law. Yesterdayhe said he was “outraged” by the attack and promised “exemplarypunishment for the guilty”. Opposition politician Piero Fassino spokeof “an unbelievable wave of racist violence that can only provokehorror”.
The Pigneto neighbourhood, where the attack took place,is a traditionally working-class area, recently settled in by migrantsas well as students and artists. It has a reputation for peacefulco-existence, although locals said the masked assailants were probablyfrom the area.
Police yesterday suggested the trouble hadstarted earlier in the day with a row between an Italian man and amigrant over stolen money.
“Italy is not a racist country,” saidinterior minister Roberto Maroni of the anti-immigrant Northern Leagueparty. “Episodes of this kind are sometimes inflamed by crimescommitted by illegal immigrants.”
Also on Saturday, Cristian Floris, who works for a gay website in Rome, was assaulted outside his house by two men.