Education Minister Valeria Fedeli
had to be treated at the Senate infirmary after allegedly being
pushed into a table and chairs by Northern League (LN) Senators
protesting the government's 'ius soli' immigrant children
citizenship bill, her Democratic Party (PD) sources said.
Fedeli had plasters put on some cuts and was given
painkillers, they said.
She recovered quickly from what she described as a "an
attempt at bullying".
Fedeli said "I'm well, thanks to everyone. Attempts at
bullying won't stop a battle for civility like the ius soli".
PD leader Matteo Renzi, the former premier, telephoned Fedeli
to see how she was and voice solidarity with her, PD sources
said.
Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso briefly expelled (LN Senator
Raffaele Volpi after the LN advanced towards the government
benches bearing placards saying no to the 'ius soli' bill.
LN Whip Gianmarco Centinaio was bodily moved after taking a
seat next to Fedeli.
The LN was protesting a decision to bring forward the 'ius
soli' debate.
Meanwhile outside the chamber members of the far-right
CasaPound group clashed with police while demonstrating outside
the Senate Thursday against the bill, which if it becomes law
would award citizenship to children born to immigrants on
Italian soil.
The so-called 'ius soli' ('law of the soil' in Latin) bill
hit the floor of the Senate Thursday where it is expected to be
passed despite stiff opposition from the rightwing LN, the small
rightwing Brothers of Italy party and the anti-establishment
5-Star Movement, which has said it will abstain amid a new
hardline stance against migrants and Roma.
CasaPound members tried to break through a police cordon and
get to the Senate but were held back with water cannon and also
claimed to have been struck with batons.
Members of the far right Forza Nuova (New Force, FN) group
also staged what they called a "sit-in" outside the Senate on
Thursday, making Fascist salutes.
As a result, some 64 FN members were cited for resisting
public officers, instigation to disobeying the law and apology
of Fascism.
Procedures were started to serve a DASP ban on all of them as
well as fining them 2,500 euros each for blocking traffic on
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II..
Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni, a member of the
anti-immigrant LN, called the bill "an aberration" and said the
region was ready to appeal to the Constitutional Court if it
becomes law.
Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini said "today it's hard to
affirm new rights".
Currently the children of immigrants must wait until they are
18 to apply for Italian citizenship.
The ius soli law would grant citizenship to foreign babies
born on Italian soil and to children who have spent at least
five years in the Italian school system.
Rightwing and centre-right parties argue that citizenship
should only be granted to those who have earned out by
integration.
Leftwing, centre-left and liberal parties say the law is a
basic right granted in many other countries.
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