Neo-Nazi Weapons Seized in Rome
Police seized knives, clubs, chains and neo-Nazi banners they said were hidden in bushes near the Olympic Stadium where skinhead fans were expected today for a soccer match between rival Rome teams.
Police on Saturday displayed the weapons and propaganda, including a wooden club with the message “Get Out Extras,” a reference to non-European Community immigrants, and a banner that read “Skinheads.”
Roma and Lazio play today. Their fan clubs are said to include right-wing extremists.
Police have stepped up patrols around the stadium. The weapons were hidden near the stadium and beyond the area where arriving fans would be frisked. The fans apparently planned to pick up the weapons after passing security. No arrests were reported.
Justice Minister Claudio Martelli said Saturday that the draft of a law to make racial and anti-Semitic actions by skinheads a crime would be ready within a week, the Italian news agency AGI reported.
Thousands of young people marched in downtown Rome and in Bari on Saturday to show their opposition to the violence.
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