The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Protest held near Berlusconi's villa in Milan

By 문예빈

Published : Feb. 8, 2011 - 13:50

    • Link copied

A demonstrator wears a mock mask of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, dressed as a pink rabbit with handcuffs during a protest outside Berlusconi's private residence, in Arcore, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, to demand Premier Silvio Berlusconi's resignation following allegations he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and used his office to cover it up. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) A demonstrator wears a mock mask of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, dressed as a pink rabbit with handcuffs during a protest outside Berlusconi's private residence, in Arcore, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, to demand Premier Silvio Berlusconi's resignation following allegations he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and used his office to cover it up. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
MILAN (AP) _ Critics of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi staged a protest Sunday near his Milan villa, some wearing masks of the leader while others shouted slogans against him. A small group scuffled with police.

Berlusconi is under investigation on suspicion he had sex with a 17-year-old Moroccan girl and used his office to cover it up. He denies wrongdoing.

Prosecutors have focused on Berlusconi's villa in Arcore, just outside Milan, where he reportedly throws wild parties with young women.
 
Demonstrators throw women's underwear in the air during a protest outside Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi's residence, in Arcore, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. Protestors demanded Premier Silvio Berlusconi's resignation following allegations he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and used his office to cover it up. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Demonstrators throw women's underwear in the air during a protest outside Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi's residence, in Arcore, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. Protestors demanded Premier Silvio Berlusconi's resignation following allegations he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and used his office to cover it up. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Hundreds gathered in Arcore to demand the premier's resignation. 

Some wore masks of Berlusconi's grinning face covered by underwear.

One woman wore a prosecutor's black robe in a show of support for the judiciary, which Berlusconi has repeatedly attacked.

A small group of protesters who had broken away from the main demonstration and tried to reach Berlusconi's villa scuffled with police, according to the ANSA news agency. The protesters hurled bottles and other objects at a police line blocking them, and police wielding batons charged at them, ANSA said.

The reports said a handful of people, both among the protesters and police, had been injured and two protesters detained.

 
A demonstrator wears a mock mask of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi with underwear during a protest in Arcore, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, to demand Berlusconi's resignation following allegations he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and used his office to cover it up. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) A demonstrator wears a mock mask of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi with underwear during a protest in Arcore, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, to demand Berlusconi's resignation following allegations he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and used his office to cover it up. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

It was the second anti-Berlusconi demonstration in as many days.

On Saturday, thousands attended a rally in a Milan sports stadium, including notable left-leaning intellectuals such as Umberto Eco and anti-mafia author Roberto Saviano.

Berlusconi insisted in a message to his supporters Sunday that he will push ahead, saying there are no alternatives to his government.

Berlusconi was elected in 2008 on a five-year-term.



<관련 기사>

"伊서 베를루스코니 퇴진요구 집회"<유로뉴스>

미성년 나이트클럽 댄서와의 성매매 의혹 등 추문이 끊이지 않는 실비오 베를루스코니 이탈리아 총리의 퇴진을 요구하는 집회가 밀라노, 피렌체 등지에서 열렸다.

6일 범유럽 뉴스채널 유로뉴스에 따르면 전날(5일) 베를루스코니 총리의 근거지인 북부 밀라노에서는 세계적인 작가 움베르토 에코와 로베르토 사비아노 등 사회운동가들이 "베를루스코니 퇴진"을 요구하는 집회를 했다.

수천 명이 모인 밀라노 집회에서 움베르토 에코는 베를루스코니를 호스니  무바라크 이집트 대통령에 비유하면서 "두 사람 모두 퇴진을 요구하는 국민의 목소리를 무시하고 있다"고 비난했다.

로베르토 사비아노는 "정부를 비판하는 사람들은 (탄압이라는) 대가를 치르게 될 것임을 잘 알고 있다"면서 자신은 이러한 위험을 회피하지 않을 것이라고 말했다

집회 참가자들은 이탈리아의 "자유와 정의를 위해" 베를루스코니가 퇴진해야 한다고 목소리를 높였다.

피렌체에서도 수백 명이 거리집회를 갖고 베를루스코니 총리의 퇴진을 요구했는데 한 여성 참가자는 취재진에게 "이대로 가면(베를루스코니가 퇴진을 거부하면) 이집트처럼 될 것"이라고 경고했다.

한편, 베를루스코니 총리는 퇴진 요구를 일축하는 동시에 미성년자 성매매 의혹을 수사하는 검찰에 "수사는 희극이며 부메랑이 돼서 돌아갈 것"이라고 오히려 역공을 취하고 있다. (연합뉴스)