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WORLD NEWS Thursday 22 February 2018

Vandalism, violent incidents mark Italy's election campaign

By FRANCES D'EMILIO bed sheets until it could
ROME (AP) — More acts be erased. The memorial's
of vandalism, intimidation plaque had been tempo-
and violence have been rarily removed for cleaning
taking place during Italy's ahead of the 40th anniver-
tense election campaign, sary of the policemen's kill-
including a bullet placed ing. In southern Calabria,
in mail destined for a can- a post office found a bul-
didate for Parliament, and let wrapped in a facsimile
the knifing of two people of a ballot in an envelope
affixing campaign posters. addressed to a candidate
Interior Minister Marco Min- of the populist 5-Star Move-
niti warned on Wednes- ment for Parliament’s lower
day that Italian organized Chamber of Deputies. Vio-
crime syndicates could try lence also erupted earlier
to influence the results of in the campaign in central
the March 4 vote which will Italy when an Italian gun-
help determine Italy's next man wounded six Africans
government. in a drive-by shooting. He
"The risk, is, unfortunately, said he was avenging the
concrete, that the Mafia murder of an 18-year-old
can condition the free vote Italian woman allegedly
in our country," Minniti said killed by Nigerian migrants.
at a presentation of Par- Anti-migrant rhetoric has
liament's annual report on Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi is cheered by followers prior to a meeting with European coursed through much of
organized crime. "We un- People’s Party President Manfred Weber, in Rome Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. Berlusconi arrived the campaign, including
derstand that's a threat to on foot at a piazza in Rome where the meeting was to be held, greeted by hundreds of supporters from leaders of the League,
the most important thing in chanting “Silvio, Silvio, Silvio”. He paused and explained to his fans that they need to make an X a party allied with former
democracy." on the Forza Italia symbol on the ballot. Premier Silvio Berlusconi in a
Authorities have long con- (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP) campaign coalition.q
tended that crime bosses
promise candidates votes
from Italians loyal to their Spain:

crime clan in exchange Judge orders arrest of separatist if she returns
for public works contracts
being awarded to their as-
sociates. Nasty and some- ARITZ PARRA tioning over her role in last Switzerland if Spanish au- not grant judicial assistance
times violent incidents have JAMEY KEATEN year's push for Catalan in- thorities sought her extradi- for "political offenses," in
been reported nearly daily MADRID (AP) — A Spanish dependence. tion. keeping with Swiss law and
in the run-up to the vote. judge on Tuesday ordered Gabriel, who was a law- Spain's public prosecutor European conventions
Early Wednesday, residents the arrest of a leading Cat- maker in the Catalan re- had requested for an in- governing Switzerland's re-
in a Rome neighborhood alan separatist politician gional assembly until late ternational arrest warrant lations with Spain.
discovered two swasti- if she returns to Spain from October, had previously to be issued, but the judge "According to articles in
kas and "death to cops" Switzerland, where she has said she would snub the only ordered for Gabriel to the media, the acts that
scrawled in black paint on moved to avoid a judicial judge's summon because be arrested if she returns the Catalan politician has
a monument honoring five inquiry. she considers the probe home. been blamed for appear
police bodyguards who Judge Pablo Llarena issued politically motivated. Her The decision came after at first glance to be po-
were slain on that block by the national arrest warrant lawyers had argued that Swiss authorities warned litical offenses," the office's
Red Brigades terrorists dur- after Anna Gabriel, the the trial couldn't be consid- that there wouldn't be spokesman, Folco Galli,
ing the March 1978 abduc- leader of the anti-establish- ered fair. enough legal grounds for wrote in an email to The
tion of former Premier Aldo ment Popular Unity Candi- The activist also told a Swiss her extradition. Associated Press. He said
Moro. Moro was later slain dature or CUP party, failed broadcaster in an interview A spokesman for Switzer- the office had received
by his captors. Residents to appear at the Supreme aired on Tuesday that she land's Federal Office of Jus- no request from Spanish
covered the graffiti with Court Wednesday for ques- would apply for asylum in tice said the country does authorities.q