1000s of Italians protest against economic hardships

Thousands of Italians have taken to the streets of the capital, Rome, to protest against what they call the deteriorating economic situation, fuelled by austerity measures, in the European country.

The demonstrators marched outside the Italian Senate on Tuesday, a day after setting up protest camps in a number of squares in central Rome.

The protesters said they have been deprived of their citizenship rights, including housing and employment, because of the government’s austerity measures.

According to reports, there were a large number of migrants among those taking part in the demonstration.

Anti-riot police were also deployed in central Rome to maintain order.

The demonstration comes a day after a protest camp event was held amid a heavy police presence in the Italian capital against the economic policies of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Italy started to experience recession after its economy contracted by 0.2 percent in the third quarter of 2011 and by 0.7 percent in the year’s fourth quarter. The country has been the slowest-growing economy in the eurozone over the past decade.

Italians have been staging protests against economic hardship over a series of government-imposed austerity packages in recent years.

Reports show that foreigners comprise half of more than the 100,000 homeless people in Italy.