ROME: Italy stepped up security for mass demonstrations by far-right and anti-fascist groups across the country on Saturday as tensions rise ahead of next week’s general election.
There has been a dramatic increase of violent clashes between anti-fascist and far-right activists in recent weeks, particularly after a racially motivated attack on Feb. 3 by a far-right gunman in the central city of Macerata that left six African migrants wounded.
Three thousand police were mobilized in Rome on Saturday for two marches and three “sit-ins” by both left and right groups likely to draw up to 20,000 people.
Former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi was expected to attend the largest demonstration in Italy’s capital, organized by the National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI), under the slogan “Fascism Never Again.”
Another anti-fascist protest in Rome, organized by a left-wing union, will rail against the Jobs Act, a flagship reform of Renzi’s government. One of the sit-ins will be hosted by Giorgia Meloni, head of the far-right Brothers of Italy party.
Roberto Fiore, head of the extreme-right Forza Nuova group, will march in Palermo, Sicily, after one of his party’s activists was beaten up by men wearing masks there on Tuesday.
The far-left Potere al Popolo movement will also hold a rally in Palermo.
Matteo Salvini, the head of The League, will attend a demonstration in Milan. The far-right group formerly known as the Northern League is part of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing coalition, along with Brothers of Italy.
The far-right CasaPound movement will also march in Milan.
Yet another demonstration will be held in Brescia, northern Italy, where an ANPI social center was torched on Thursday night.
On the same day three police officers were injured after clashes with anti-fascist protesters demonstrating against a CasaPound meeting in the northwestern city of Turin.
The spike in violence comes amid fears of a revival of far-right parties in the Mar. 4 election.
An average of the last major polls suggested Berlusconi’s right-wing coalition could finish on top, but fail to achieve a parliamentary majority.
Italy braces for anti-fascist and far-right protests
Italy braces for anti-fascist and far-right protests
Kyiv ready for talks ‘next week’ with US over Russia proposals: Zelensky
- “Ukraine is ready to work in all working formats,” said Zelensky.
- “It is important that there are results and that the meetings take place“
KYIV: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday his negotiators were waiting to hear from the United States on further meetings about ending the war with Russia.
Zelensky’s remarks in his evening address appeared to suggest that a second round of talks scheduled to start in Abu Dhabi on Sunday between US, Russian and Ukrainian officials on ending the fighting had been postponed.
“Ukraine is ready to work in all working formats,” said Zelensky.
“It is important that there are results and that the meetings take place. We are counting on meetings next week and are preparing for them.”
Zelensky was speaking as US envoy Steve Witkoff said he had had “productive and constructive” talks with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Florida on Saturday.
Teams from Ukraine and Russia met Friday and Saturday last week in Abu Dhabi in their first in-person negotiations on a plan being pushed by President Donald Trump to end the war.
They had agreed to resume talks there on Sunday.
On Thursday however, Zelensky suggested that the date and venue could change given the current tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The US says both sides are close to a deal, but they have so far been unable to find a compromise on the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement, according to Kyiv.
