Over 100 Romanians attacked in xenophobic outburst in Italy

Miercuri, 9 ianuarie 2008, 17:25 English | Top News

On the night of January 7/8, over 100 Romanians camped in an abandoned wine factory in Aprilia, Italy, were victims of a new xenophobic attack. The immigrants occupied a factory on via Nettunese, as shelter from the cold. On Monday night, an organized group of Italian youngsters threw Molotov cocktails through the factory windows, then destroyed the windows of cars parked nearby.

Alessandro Dichio, local investor and representative of the local community of Romanians said that the figure suggested in the Italian media, of only 20 Romanians, is far from being true, the community counting at least 100 people, both Gypsy ethnics and Romanians. The same factory was occupied last year, but authorities evicted the group.

Dichio says that the immigrants come mainly from the camps torn down near Rome. "They didn't cause any problems, but it is possible for offenders to be found among them", said Dichio.

Il Tempo, in its Latina edition, informs that the arsonists has too little fire power to harm the people inside the factory. Police haven't identified yet any of the aggressors.