Italian pacifists planning an antiwar march during President Bush's farewell visit to Rome this week staged a protest outside a city centre prison that has been partially emptied to house arrested demonstrators in the event of disturbances. The protesters, dressed in convict clothes, said a decision to move 230 inmates from the Regina Coeli prison on the Tiber embankment was "a grotesque attempt to intimidate us". Piero Bernocchi, their spokesman, said an "entirely peaceful" protest march would go ahead tomorrow afternoon to coincide with Mr Bush's arrival. Mr Bush will hold talks on Thursday with Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, and President Napolitano before an audience with Pope Benedict XVI on Friday. Mr Bush told Italian state television: "I know Mr Berlusconi and trust him."
Italian pacifists planning an antiwar march during President Bush's farewell visit to Rome this week staged a protest outside a city centre prison that has been partially emptied to house arrested demonstrators in the event of disturbances.
The protesters, dressed in convict clothes, said a decision to move 230 inmates from the Regina Coeli prison on the Tiber embankment was "a grotesque attempt to intimidate us".
Piero Bernocchi, their spokesman, said an "entirely peaceful" protest march would go ahead tomorrow afternoon to coincide with Mr Bush's arrival.
Mr Bush will hold talks on Thursday with Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, and President Napolitano before an audience with Pope Benedict XVI on Friday. Mr Bush told Italian state television: "I know Mr Berlusconi and trust him."
