Thousands of anti-EU protesters voiced their fury at Brussels yesterday in one of the largest ever demonstrations against the European bloc to take place in Italy.
The scale of the protest shocked police officers, and even prompted the local US embassy to issue a security alert, warning of up to “10,000 people on the streets”.
Among the urgent demands of the young protesters was an immediate Italian exit of the EU as well as a departure from the eurozone.
This follows polls yesterday that will alarm officials in Brussels, as eurosceptism remains on the rise in the country and anti-EU parties resurgent.
The large-scale protest, organised by more than 40 social and political groups, voiced opposition to Brussels as well as the current national government.
Led by the ‘EuroStop’ political movement, the march had to be delayed for an hour yesterday morning following higher than expected turnout
Slogans chanted by the crowd included “Break the European Union and euro cage” and “No to the EU mafia”.
This follows a widespread general strike on Friday in Italy, which was orchestrated by key trade unions.
One protester, holding a banner against the euro and the EU, told the press: “This is a struggle and there will be more f these on the streets. The country’s economic and social situation is unbearable.”
Another said: “We will never be slaves to the banks, to the government and to the EU.”
They called for the government to reject the EU’s demand for Italy to cut back on its budget, and also urged politicians to abandon the free trade agreements with the US and Canada.