Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – On 24 October, in Rome, on the popular with tourists Piazza del Popolo, protests were held against measures to tighten quarantine measures. The protests were organized by the neo-fascist group Forza Nuova (New Force). About 200 activists demanded the abolition of the "sanitary dictatorship", that is, the anti-pandemic measures introduced by the Italian government.

New Force is an Italian far-right political party. The party’s ideology is based on extreme nationalism, Catholic traditionalism and the legacy of Italian fascism.

The demonstration escalated into riots, with participants setting fireworks on fire, firing firecrackers at police officers, setting fire to waste containers and damaging several vehicles. As a result, 2 law enforcement officers were injured, more than 10 people were detained.

The day before, riots took place in Naples. After the local governor announced his intention to declare a self-isolation regime in the region, owners of restaurants and shops took to the streets of the city. The protest escalated into clashes with the police, demonstrators tried to infiltrate the headquarters of the provincial administration.

As observers note, the reason for the first protests since the beginning of the pandemic in Italy was the decision of the authorities to impose curfews in several regions of the country in order to contain the pandemic. From 23 October, Campania, Lazio and Lombardy have a curfew from midnight to five in the morning. Piedmont and Sicily will join them next week. A fine of up to 1 thousand euros was introduced for non-compliance with the rules.

Amid a sharp increase in infections, about 100 Italian scientists have called on the Italian president and prime minister to take more stringent measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. According to the Italian Ministry of Health, about 20 thousand new cases of infection have been confirmed over the past day, which is the highest indicator since the beginning of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Prime Minister G. Conte said that he did not intend to introduce national isolation that undermines the country’s economy.

In general, according to experts, the situation in Italy shows that even restrictive measures that are in demand due to the worsening epidemiological situation lead to an increase in social tension in the country.