Italy's anti-immigrant movement brings protest rally to Rome

[Lite Beer]

Italy's anti-immigrant movement brings protest rally to Rome
FRANCES D'EMILIO, Associated Press

ROME (AP) — The leader of Italy's Northern League brought his anti-Europe, anti-immigrant agenda to Rome Saturday, filling a vast square in the capital with thousands of his supporters and positioning his regional movement for a bid to become a national right-wing force.

Flocking from the north, Matteo Salvini's supporters rallied in Piazza del Popolo. Police blocked streets leading to the square, determined to keep marchers in a counterdemonstration from clashing with Salvini's supporters.

The Northern League once was a stalwart ally of conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi. But as Berlusconi struggles to stay influential following a tax fraud conviction that forced him out of Parliament, Salvini has been eyeing new allies, including from the far-right.

Salvini's railing against the European Union prompts comparisons to French National Front leader Marine Le Pen.

With some opinion polls finding Salvini next in popularity among Italians after Premier Matteo Renzi, he has been dubbed "the other Matteo."

Salvini told his supporters Renzi is the "foolish servant" of Brussels, which "wants to control the lives of all of you." Salvini pitched for a "different Europe, where banks count for less, and citizens and small businessmen count for more."

In upcoming regional elections, Salvini could capitalize on the growing strength of other right-wing movements in Europe, especially after the recent attacks by Islamic extremists. Libyan-based smugglers bring boats full of migrants and refugees to Italy. Another League leader at the rally, Mario Borghezio, said unemployed immigrants "should be all out" of Italy.

Corriere della Sera commentator Aldo Cazzullo wrote that while the League had long scorned Rome as "the enemy," now its enemy "is Europe, Germany, the common currency, international finance." He said boosting Salvini's popularity has been Europe's failure to deal with "the impoverishment of the middle class, waves of migration, the war on the Mediterranean's other shore."

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-03-01

[Johnny S]

Too Little too late for EU

[transam]

It had to come.............

[winstonc]

about time people started taking control.

[NCFC]

I wonder when the anti-immigration rallies will start in Thailand?

[nontabury]

I wonder when the anti-immigration rallies will start in Thailand?

Why should they occur in Thailand? I have yet to see ANY immigrants here.

[Berkshire]

I wonder when the anti-immigration rallies will start in Thailand?

Why should they occur in Thailand? I have yet to see ANY immigrants here.

I'm sure you're just being sarcastic, but for the record:

Anti-immigration = Anti-foreigner

It's that way the world over.

[nontabury]

I wonder when the anti-immigration rallies will start in Thailand?

Why should they occur in Thailand? I have yet to see ANY immigrants here.

I'm sure you're just being sarcastic, but for the record:

Anti-immigration = Anti-foreigner

It's that way the world over.

Absolute rubbish. I know many people in the UK who are NOT anti-foreigner, yet are anti illegal immigration, and desire for the UK to take control of it's own border.

[coffeeman]

Europe is in a serious cultural ethnic diverse movement! from Sweden to Italy to the UK, the Muslims are moving in VERY fast, the way they are leaving their countries and moving eventually Islam will be the main religion of the future.

500 years from now, Europe will be under Shiria law. hahhahaha

I think Asia will still be safe though.

[Berkshire]

I wonder when the anti-immigration rallies will start in Thailand?

Why should they occur in Thailand? I have yet to see ANY immigrants here.

I'm sure you're just being sarcastic, but for the record:

Anti-immigration = Anti-foreigner

It's that way the world over.

Absolute rubbish. I know many people in the UK who are NOT anti-foreigner, yet are anti illegal immigration, and desire for the UK to take control of it's own border.

Don't be dishonest. I said "anti-immigration," not "illegal" immigration. Or can't you read?

[Bwanatickey]

In Geography you are always taught when learning about Europe, that to recognise Italy on a European Map , it looked like a boot, at the foot of Europe.

Not much of a boot now, not even a naked foot, a naked soft European sole is no match for the barefoot brigade entering Europe.