Categories: GlobalLatest

Clashes in Naples over Tightening Coronavirus Restrictions

Protesters in Naples opposed to stricter coronavirus measures clashed with police late into Friday night. Some threw smoke bombs and firecrackers in the centre of the southern Italian city; police responded with tear gas. The mainly young crowd defied a night-time curfew imposed late on Friday in the Campania region after cases rose.

Regional President Vincenzo de Luca has called for a national lockdown to avoid a repeat of the casualties seen in the first wave earlier this year. Hundreds broke through a police cordon near the regional headquarters building late on Friday, Italy’s Ansa news agency reports.

Along with smoke bombs, bottles were thrown at the 100-strong line of police in riot gear.

Demonstrators earlier gathered in front of a university building in response to calls on social media. One carried a banner with the words “you close us, you pay us”.

Naples police commissioner Alessandro Giuliano condemned “criminal behaviour”. “No conditions of discomfort, however humanly understandable, can in any way justify violence,” he said.

Italy, badly hit during the first wave of the virus in March and April, has seen a spike in new daily infections – 19,143 were registered on Friday. Ninety-one deaths were recorded, though that is much lower than the peak of fatalities in the first wave.

Regional leaders have the power to impose their own measures, but Campania’s president said regional lockdowns would not be enough.

“We need to make one last effort to get things under control. We need to shut everything down for a month, for 40 days,” he said in a statement posted on the regional government’s website.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has said he does not want to repeat the national lockdown imposed during the first wave, as Italy continues to grapple with the severe economic consequences.

Campania is the second worst-hit region in Italy in terms of new cases, behind Lombardy, which was the epicentre when the pandemic first arrived in Italy.

More than 37,000 people have died with coronavirus in Italy, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and over 484,000 have been infected.

Follow us on:

AriseNews

Recent Posts

EU Closes Antitrust Investigation Into Apple’s App Store Rules After Complaint Withdrawal

EU regulators has closed a four-year investigation into Apple's App Store rules after the complainant…

9 mins ago

IPOB Denounces Simon Ekpa As A ‘Destructive Agent’, Clarifies He Was Never A Member Of The Group

IPOB distanced itself from Simon Ekpa, calling him a “destructive agent” who infiltrated and destabilised…

1 hour ago

Biden Calls ICC’s Arrest Warrants For Netanyahu, Gallant ‘Outrageous’

Biden has condemned ICC's arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, calling them "outrageous" amid global…

2 hours ago

Chukwuma Ezeala: Simon Ekpa’s Arrest Won’t Guarantee Peace In Southeast, Government Must Identify His Disciples

Chukwuma Ezeala has said that despite Simon Ekpa’s arrest, identifying his disciples in Southeast Nigeria…

2 hours ago

Federal Government Reinstates Ikechebelu as Acting Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK

The federal government has reinstated Professor Joseph Ikechebelu as acting Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK, nullifying Professor…

4 hours ago

Court Of Appeal Nullifies Judgment Blocking Voter Register Release For Rivers LG Polls

Court of Appeal has overturned the Federal High Court ruling barring INEC from releasing voter…

4 hours ago