According to a report by Curzio Maltese of la Repubblica who was in Piazza Navona, the dynamics of the clash were worse. (I was at Sant'Andrea della Valle, just off Piazza Navona and only saw the kids fleeing.)

According to him the police did not intervene for over five minutes. The fascists- approximately sixty in all- first attacked the youngest children, no more than 14 years old, with clubs. The crowd berated the police for not intervening to protect them. After several attacks militant leftists from the "occupied social forums" intervened against the fascists. An isolated group of fascists was allowed to escape through the police barrier. Maltese who was pursueing them was blocked by the police. The police finally broke up the fight and hauled the remaining fascists away.

The student movements consider the provocation and the tardiness of the police to intervene as a deliberate design to smear the movement as violent.

Senator Cossiga was called to account as he left Palazzo Madama, "Is this what you wanted, Senator?"

As for those us who were outside the Piazza the panicking children did create tension but was calmed by the prompt and responsible response of the student "coordinators" with the collaboration of the police. Apparently the fascist had hoped that their violence would spill out and cause rioting throughout the area. The movement has been ever to conscious of this eventuality and has apparently constantly warned against it.

As for today the city has been totally invaded by one of the most imposing demonstrations I have witnessed in years, more than Veltroni's demonstration last Saturday- and a lot more creative.

It's deeply gratifying to see such a mass expression of Italian brain power in what is otherwise a cheap pornocratic freak show.