Italy: Police clash with protesters as Renzi visits L'Aquila

Clashes erupted between police forces and a group of up to 100 protesters in L'Aquila, Abruzzo region, on Tuesday. The protesters were demonstrating against the visit of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to the region. Demonstrators waved flags, held banners and chanted slogans against the Italian Prime Minister when facing police officers. Some of them performed a sit-in, while others tried to break the police cordon, being being taken to the ground. One police officer reportedly had her nose broken. Demonstrators also protested against the Ombrina Mare oil field, located off Abruzzo, some of whose committee members were among the guests. Due to the unrest, Renzi cancelled his first stage of the visit, although he gave a speech at the Gran Sasso Science Institute as was planned previously. L'Aquila was severely hit by a earthquake few years ago, and Renzi's visit was aimed at checking the status of the reconstruction works.