Rome's mayor said Sunday that it could cost at least a euro1million ($1.4 million) to recover from the havoc wreaked by rioters who smashedwindows, tore up sidewalks and torched vehicles after breaking off from apeaceful protest.
The estimate came as clean-up work continued in damagedneighborhoods, where many charred vehicles remained parked along the streets.
The hundreds of rioters infiltrated a march Saturday by tensof thousands of demonstrators unhappy about the global financial crisis — partof a worldwide version of the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York.
The protesters, some wearing gas masks and many in hoods,ripped up cobblestones and slabs of sidewalk to hurl at police and buildings,and smashed windows with hammers. Police responded with water hoses and teargas. Protesters also stormed into a church, tore a crucifix off the wall andsmashed a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno inspected the damagedneighborhood near St. John in Lateran Basilica on Sunday. He called the rioters"animals" and told reporters that repairs to city property, includingstreets and sidewalks, will cost at least euro1 million ($1.4 million).
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, whose ministry includesthe state police corps, said he would brief the Senate on Tuesday about therioting and the measures to be taken to avoid a replay.
Maroni told a news conference that he has urgedinvestigators to "carefully study the images" that might have beencaptured by bank and other surveillance cameras so the rioters could be broughtto justice "and pay for what they did in an exemplary way."
A city sanitation crew on Sunday whitewashed a wall near theColosseum to remove graffiti. Charred hulks of dozens of parked, unoccupiedcars set ablaze by the rioters still lined several streets, but most of theshattered glass and chunks of hurled stone had been swept away Saturday night.
Hundreds of bus runs on Saturday had to be diverted to avoidthe riot areas, but routes were normal on Sunday. Cafes in the area that hadquickly shuttered their windows when the riot moved in their direction wereopen for business Sunday.