AP reports that heavy smoke billowed in downtown Rome as the small group broke away and wreaked havoc in streets close to the Colosseum and elsewhere in the city. Clad in black with their faces covered, protesters threw rocks, bottles and incendiary devices at banks and Rome police in riot gear according to AP. With clubs and hammers, they destroyed bank ATMs, set trash bins on fire and assaulted at least two news crews from Sky Italia. Protesters also stormed into a church, tore a crucifix off the wall and smashed a statue of the Virgin Mary. The European ‘occupy’-ers called themselves “the indigent.”
Riot police charged the protesters repeatedly, firing water cannons and tear gas. Around 70 people were injured, according to news reports, including one man who tried to stop the protesters from throwing bottles.In the city’s St. John in Lateran square, police vans came under attack, with protesters hurling rocks and cobblestones and smashing the vehicles. Fleeing the violence, peaceful protesters stormed up the steps outside the Basilica, one of the oldest in Rome. Rome’s mayor said Sunday that it could cost at least a euro1 million ($1.4 million) to recover from the havoc wreaked by rioters who smashed windows, tore up sidewalks and torched vehicles after breaking off from a peaceful protest. The estimate came as clean-up work continued in damaged neighborhoods, where many charred vehicles remained parked along the streets.
Wow! Meanwhile on the Catholic Squares of America many joined in the peacefull praying of the Rosary. As many as 200,000 Americans took to the streets on October 15 and “occupied” thousands of public squares nationwide to voice their concerns about the nation’s future. Such an outpouring of public sentiment should have been enough to attract the attention of any decent media.
Our Parish participated in this event on October 15th where we stood out on the front lawn facing US 421 in Dunn.
St. Michael,Defend us,
St. Louis IX, Pray for us,
Our Lady, Intercede for us.
