Italians Shocked by Protest Violence

This is the scene that greets residents of Rome Sunday morning.

Shattered storefronts and burnt out cars litter the Italian capital following clashes between protesters and police the previous day.

The violence came after a largely peaceful demonstration against politicians and bankers was hijacked by hundreds of masked protesters.

They ran amok through Rome, clashing with police and leaving behind a trail of destruction.

It was among the worst violence Rome had seen in years, and the scale of the destruction shocked many here.

[Patricia Francesconi, Local Resident]:

„We live in this apartment which they set on fire. I was inside with the children during the demonstration and we were just waiting for the building to blow up. There was fire everywhere around us. We called the fire brigade but they said they would not be able to reach us. But in the end they saved our lives.“

Meanwhile, an estimated 3,000 people camped out near the London Stock Exchange Saturday night – part of a global wave of protests against the world economic order.

The demonstration was largely peaceful, as were dozens of others from Hong Kong to Chile.

Foto: NTD