Thousands turn out for 'No Berlusconi Day' protest

Tens of thousands of Italians have taken to the streets of Rome in a national "No-B Day" demonstration demanding that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resign.

AFP - Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the centre of Rome against Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Saturday after an Internet call for a "No Berlusconi Day."

Most of them wore scarves, T-shirts or sweaters in various shades of violet after the group of bloggers who organised the protest chose it as the only colour not used by political parties.

The organisers claimed to have attracted 350,000 supporters from a wide spectrum of society, backed by mainly left-wing opposition parties.

Banners carried by the marchers calling on Berlusconi to quit referred to the prime minister's various legal problems, including suspicions of corruption and tax fraud.

"We want Berlusconi to resign because we do not feel that he represents us," one of the organisers, Emmanuele de Pascale, 28, told AFP.

Particpants ranged from film director Nanni Moretti, who condemned Berlusconi's domination of Italian television, to ecologists opposed to a planned bridge across the Straits of Messina and immigrant defence groups.

The demonstration came a day after a Mafia hitman testified at a trial in Turin that his boss alleged Berlusconi had aided organised crime.

Berlusconi has vehemently denied ties to the Mafia.

Date created : 2009-12-05