'Work, peace, environment, welfare, Constitution': under this slogan the CGIL returns to the streets of Rome in the demonstration also supported by over one hundred secular and Catholic associations. In Calabria and Sicily, the truck protest against high fuel prices continues. Anav Sicilia, the trade association that brings together traveler transport companies, warns that without diesel as of Monday, private transport is at risk.
"Work, peace, environment, welfare, Constitution": under this slogan the national demonstration in Rome promoted by the CGIL and the over one hundred lay and Catholic associations that are part of the Via Maestra is preparing to start. The procession will start from Piazza della Repubblica, around 2pm, heading to Piazza del Popolo, where speeches from the stage will alternate. Closing was the general secretary of the CGIL, Maurizio Landini.
The demonstration relaunches various proposals and demands: from higher wages and less precariousness to a "really fair" tax system; from public health and education for all to access to housing; from work and the environment together, to peace, saying no to rearmament and increased military spending; from freedom of dissent to the defense and implementation of the Constitution.
At work, the Via Maestra calls for increasing salaries and pensions, canceling precarious contracts, combating poor work and reducing the pay gap between women and men. Regarding taxation, the request is to fight tax evasion, reduce the tax burden on salaries and pensions, tax extra profits, income and great wealth and guarantee tax progressivity: those who have more must contribute more, insist the promoters of the event. There is also a request to increase public health funding to 7.5% of GDP and education to 5%, to hire staff, reduce waiting lists and guarantee quality public services in every part of the country.
Procession in Milan, throwing stones at the police
A heavy stone-throwing started in the direction of the Police in via Broletto, in the center of Milan, near via San Tomaso where the Italian march in the square involving over five thousand demonstrators was blocked.
The police in riot gear carried out a lightening charge. The procession broke in two, and groups of young people headed towards Via Bossi.
Atm shelters and windows on the first floors of some historic buildings were damaged. Some paper bombs and fireworks were thrown. There is a lot of confusion even among kids.
New double face-to-face contact between protesters and agents in via Broletto, in the center of Milan, where the demonstration called by Italia in Piazza was blocked. The police responded with a double charge that was brief but more decisive than the previous one. Some bruised people were seen in the stampede. Tables uprooted, a photographer slightly injured.
New police officers, in via Broletto in Milan. Some boys who were cursing at the police were injured on the ground, fortunately slightly. Everyone got up, some more battered. An undercover officer wounded in the head was jeered as he was being rescued.
The demonstrators threw paper bombs at the police forces who were caught on two sides as the march was split in two and did not appear in large numbers. The tension remains. Some boys were stopped and identified. The Police are slowly pushing back what was the head of the procession towards Piazza Cordusio.
Procession in Turin, brawl among the demonstrators themselves
Brawls broke out between demonstrators on two occasions in Turin during the demonstration against the high cost of living. The organizers of the event ordered some very young people to take off their hoods and march with their faces uncovered. A small group that attempted to overtake the head of the procession by running along the arcades of Via Po was also blocked by the same demonstrators.
Once they reached Piazza Vittorio Veneto, a bottle was thrown at the police departments on site.
