PROTESTS against a new electronic entrance card at Italian football stadiums – intended to curb hooliganism – exploded into violence when 500 fans stormed a political meeting, hurling petrol bombs and setting cars alight.
The open-air meeting near Bergamo was being addressed by Roberto Maroni, the Interior Minister. Mr Maroni said that the behaviour of the protesters – Atalanta fans known as “ultras” – underlined the need for anti-hooliganism measures such as the identity card.
“I have nothing against football fans and am happy to talk to them,” Mr Maroni said. “But these were not real fans, they were violent thugs.” The violence comes on the eve of the resumption of Serie A matches tomorrow.
The protesters threw firecrackers, smokebombs and bottles filled with nails at the rally in Alzano Lombardo, near Bergamo.
The rally was being held by the Northern League, of which Mr Maroni is a leading member.
The League is a coalition ally of Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, who is fighting to prevent a rebellion in Parliament next month by followers of Gianfranco Fini, the Speaker of the Lower House, which could bring his coalition down halfway through its term.
Five fans were arrested and a number of police officers were hurt during the clashes, in which a police car was burnt.
Mr Maroni spearheaded the campaign to introduce the electronic card, which has led to resentment on the terraces. On Saturday last week fans held up a match between Inter Milan and AS Roma for five minutes by staging a protest.
Mr Maroni said that the protesters at Alzano Lombardo would be “identified and severely punished”. The violence, which lasted for 20 minutes, occurred just as Mr Maroni had started speaking.
Giancarlo Abete, the president of the Italian Football Federation, said that he was standing by the ID programme even if it meant fewer fans at the stadiums and a drop in season ticket sales.
“The problem with football isn’t having more or less spectators, it’s battling violence and if we need to pay these prices so be it,” he told RAI, the Italian state radio.
The centre-right coalition has taken a tough stand on law and order issues. Last weekend Mr Maroni said that he was in favour of expelling not only illegal immigrants from outside the EU but also EU citizens who had “violated basic requirements for living in Italy”.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera Mr Maroni said that he supported “the possibility of extending the push-back policy of illegal immigrants to all European citizens who breach the EU directive on the minimum conditions for living in another member state, including a minimum wage, decent lodging and not weighing on the state’s welfare system”.
Mr Maroni said that he had in mind Roma who were EU citizens “but do not respect any of these requirements”. He said that President Sarkozy was “copying Italy’s model” in his stand against Roma.
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