Pro-Palestinian student demonstrators
in Pisa who were baton-charged in allegedly heavy handed
policing Friday had refused mediation, Interior Minister Matteo
Piantedosi reportedly told cabinet Monday, according to sources
present.
They allegedly gave no notice of the type of demo it would be
and did not respond to police efforts to contact them, he said.
On the day itself they also allegedly refused to say where they
were headed, and "ducked repeated attempts at mediation on the
part of (security police) DIGOS, trying, despite warnings from a
director of (DIGOS) and the express and repeated request not to
head for Piazza dei Cavalieri (where the campus is), to break
through the police cordon and deliberately coming into contact
with the flying squad units".
President Sergio Mattarella has reprimanded police over the
clashes, which left five students in hospital.
The opposition has condemned the allegedly excessive use of the
truncheon after a video emerged showing cops repeatedly hitting
students on the head.
photo: a student demo protesting the policing in Pisa
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