Italy was rocked by violent protests on Friday, as demonstrations were met by riot police and strikes hit the beleaguered economy.
The uproar was fuelled by pent-up rage over the unabated economic crisis and entrenched unemployment which has ensnared 42% of the country’s young people.
Anger was taken out on refugees and economic migrants who were frequently blamed for the poor state of the economy. One refugee centre in a poor area of Rome was repeatedly attacked by local residents throughout the whole week.
A group of 36 teenage migrants had to be evacuated from the centre in a working-class suburb on Thursday night after the authorities said the area was no longer safe for them. Locals had been hurling stones, flares and other missiles at their centre, smashing windows and setting rubbish bins alight during several nights of violence.
Students and trade unionists clashed with riot police in Milan and Padua. Rome witnessed huge demonstrations, with fire crackers being thrown at the economy minister. Demonstrations also took place in Turin, Naples and Genoa.
Adding to the chaos were transport strikes, which disrupted buses, trams, trains and even flights at Rome's Fiumicino airport.
