Protesters face police officers during a demonstration in Turin. (EPA Images pic)ROME: Security forces deployed massively in Italy on Saturday for protests in which thousands rallied despite a sweeping crackdown in the wake of violent clashes last weekend.
Police said they arrested nine people and briefly detained 371 more -- including 110 minors -- who were taken to police stations in eight cities as clashes broke out at some protests.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government approved tough security measures this week and police had carried out dozens of searches and arrests in advance of the rallies.
"Marching is a right. We need to make our voices heard," Alessio Scimone, a 24-year-old betting shop worker, one of the protesters in Milan, told AFP.
