> Rome clashes erupt over Haider visit > ========================= > Hundreds of protesters marching against the visit of > Austrian far-right > leader Joerg Haider to the Vatican have clashed with > Italian riot police. > Mr Haider, in Rome for the lighting of a Christmas > tree given by his home > province of Carinthia, stoked the controversy with > the latest in a series of > apparently anti-Semitic remarks he has made during > his political career. > > Demonstrators threw bricks and cobblestones and > police responded with tear > gas and beat many demonstrators to the ground with > batons, witnesses said. > > They had been trying to force their way down the > avenue leading to St > Peter's Square, where the Austrian Christmas tree is > standing under heavy > police. > > But their path was blocked by police vans, while > police formed a phalanx > with shields and batons and charged the > demonstrators. One person was > injured in the clashes > > The confrontation took place about 500 metres from > the square, but the > ceremony went ahead undisturbed, with the Austrian > populist sitting in a > place of honour near the tree. > > Pope John Paul II did not attend the tree-lighting > ceremony, but earlier in > the day Mr Haider had a private audience with him. > > Controversial remark > > Mr Haider's visit has provoked protests by > politicians, the Jewish > community, wartime deportees and students. > > Rome's Jewish shopkeepers switched their lights off > when the Christmas > tree's lights were switched on. > > Mr Haider's response, quoted by the Italian news > agency Ansa, was to say: > "If they want to save electricity, let them do it." > > Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress Lord > Janner said the Jewish > protest was "both dignified and appropriate" while > Mr Haider's "revolting > response" was precisely what was expected of him. > > "It is immensley sad that such a great Pope would > lower himself by meeting > this international pariah," he added. > > Papal audience > > Mr Haider's audience with the Pope was over in three > minutes. > > The Pope gave him a copy of his New Year message > warning against > nationalism, racism and xenophobia, but Mr Haider > had no time to deliver his > pre-prepared remarks. > > The Vatican accepted the offer of a Christmas tree > in 1997, when Mr Haider > was not governor of Carinthia. > > Mr Haider resigned as head of Austria's far-right > Freedom Party after the > party's success at last year's general election > earned it a place in the > governing coalition. > > He is notorious for making remarks apparently > sympathetic to the policies of > Nazi Germany, and for xenophobic views on > immigration. > > Protesters in Rome on Saturday said his visit was "a > provocation and an > offence to the city's history". > > > The Vatican has defended the meeting on the grounds > that the Holy See is > open to all. > > The Vatican's number two, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, > told the La Repubblica > newspaper: "We must make a difference between an > error and one who errs." > > Vatican uneasy > > BBC Rome correspondent David Willey says the Vatican > is clearly embarrassed > at the political row that has broken out over the > Haider visit. > > However, the officials insist that timing of the > release of the > anti-xenophobia message was coincidental. > > The controversy over Mr Haider's visit has been > sharpened by a row over > remarks he made earlier this week criticising the > Italian Government as > "overly generous" on immigration. > > Prime Minister Giuliano Amato said on Friday he > would write to Austrian > Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel to express his > government's displeasure at Mr > Haider's criticism of President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi > and Italy's policies on > immigration. > > "The government cannot but judge extremely severely > such criticisms, which > are even more unacceptable coming from someone who > holds an official > position in another European Union country," Mr > Amato said. > > Mr Haider had said that Austria should reconsider > its membership of the EU's > open-borders Schengen agreement because of Italy's > stance. > > The Italian president responded by explaining that > Italy had always been a > country of migration and was a humane society. > > Then, in an interview with Italy's Corriere della > Sera newspaper, the > Austrian populist said President Ciampi's response > was typical of a > left-wing politician. > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
