Clashes with police forces in riot
gear occurred Friday in Naples during a march by about thirty
young people protesting against the presence in the southern
city of anti-gay general and European candidate for the
rightwing League Party, Roberto Vannacci.
Vannacci, 55, a former paratroop commander who became a rightist
darling with a self-published bestseller slamming gays, Blacks,
Jews, feminists and other minorities, has been suspended form
his post and was tapped as EP candidate last week by League
leader Matteo Salvini despite rumblings within the nationalist
party.
Most recently he has been accused of calling for separate school
classes for the disabled, a charge he denies.
The Naples demonstrators, who wanted to break through the
barriers and police cordon protecting the area where Vannacci
was presenting his book, 'Il Mondo al Contrario' (The World Back
To Front), threw water-filled balloons and then hit the
officers' shields with flagpoles.
The police then responded with the use of batons, but there
appear to be no injuries. The two sides are currently facing off
in Via Nazario Sauro.
Vannacci's says that gays are not normal, espouses the Great
Replacement conspiracy theory about mainly Muslim migrants
replacing ethnic Italians, suggests only white people can be
real Italians, and lauds stand-your-ground self-defence laws.
Salvini is deputy premier and transport minister.
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