The Technocratic Revulsion Begins in Italy

Photos And Video As Thousands Of Italians Protest Monti's "Banker" Government

Well that was quick: Italy is about to be acquainted with the old Asian saying that a "known devil is better then unknown angel", especially when the angel is a Prime and Finance minister (two for the austere price of one) working purely on the behalf of offshore banker interests. As Reuters and Corriere report, thousands of Italians took to the streets in several cities on Thursday to protest against what they called a "bankers' government" led by economist Mario Monti, and there were clashes with police. Students in Italy's financial capital Milan threw firecrackers at police trying to prevent them approaching the Bocconi university, which is chaired by Monti and has become a symbol for the new executive of technocrats he has formed to tackle Italy's debt crisis. Police responded by charging the students with batons. One journalist was injured by a firecracker, police sources said. The students also threw eggs and fake dollar banknotes at the building of the Italian banking association. 

"We don't want the banks to rule" and "Monti's government is not the solution," the students chanted." Well as long as it is only the students who feel this way, all is well. If, however, the anti-Monti sentiment is shared by more, which it is, then the technocratic government will be lucky to survive three weeks... forget 2013. And the greater the revulsion, the bigger the Stockholm Syndrome nostalgia for Berlusconi will be. If we were betting people, we would speculate that Silvio's chances for reelection are soaring with each passing minute. Source

Additional:

Italian protesters clashed with police Thursday as thousands took to the streets around the country in anger at budget cuts and the Brussels-backed “bankers’ government.”The student-led demos came just hours before new Prime Minister Mario Monti, whose government was sworn in on Wednesday, revealed his anti-crisis measures in his first address to parliament.  He is expected to face a confidence vote before the upper house on Thursday night.

As protesters in Rome hoped to march on the Senate while Monti delivered his speech, students in Italy's financial capital Milan battled with baton-wielding police as they headed for Bocconi University, which is chaired by the prime minister.  

Demonstrators in Palermo and Sicily were reported to have thrown stones at police, while others hurled eggs and smoke bombs at a local bank.  

Violence was also reported in Turin, when protesters met police head on as they came up on the city headquarters of the Bank of Italy.