Tax Collection Violence in Italy: Mail Bombs in Rome, Police Clashes in Naples, Molotov Cocktails in Livorno

Violent protests against the hated Equitalia, the Italian tax collection agency, are making headlines in several cities in the past few days. In Rome mail bombings have been ongoing since December. Via Google Translate, this time in Italian, please consider a trio of articles.

Equitalia, six months of mail bombs

MILAN - Equitalia once again in the crosshairs. After the envelope with gunpowder delivered Friday to the see of Rome, in Via Giuseppe Grezar, last night, two Molotov cocktails were thrown against the door of the agency's headquarters in Livorno. This is the latest in a long series of parcel bombs and suspicious envelopes arrived in recent months in various offices of the Italian society of recovery.

THE FIRST PACKS-BOMB - The first package bomb delivered to Equitalia comes in via Millevoi, in Rome, December 9 last year. The bomb explodes in the hands of the director general, Mark Cockaigne, that is wounded in the hand and eye. On 12 December a large firecracker exploded outside the headquarters of the agency Equitalia in Naples. The explosion causes damage of the lower part of the gate valve iron input current Southern.

On 15 December an envelope, containing gunpowder and a primer, is caught in the seat of Equitalia Flaminio in Rome on the Tiber. On 20 December an envelope containing white powder with no sender is delivered to the site via Equitalia Millevoi. On 22 December, two envelopes containing suspicious powder is delivered to the Stock Exchange in the square in Milan and the Business of Equitalia in Via San Gregorio. On 4 January an anonymous caller warns of a bomb the headquarters of Perugia Equitalia. After the appropriate checks reveals a false alarm.

January 5 at Leghorn a threatening letter and a 7.65 caliber bullet is sent to the Director of the office of Equitalia of Livorno. The same day at Caserta a parcel containing gunpowder and intended to Equitalia of Caserta is intercepted by the Post Office, insospettitesi the lack of sender. Inside is also found a threatening letter. On January 9, an envelope containing suspicious powder and addressed to Equitalia is intercepted in the post office of Ischia and a second envelope with gunpowder and a piece of rope as a wick reaches the site of the Tiber Equitalia Flaminio in Rome.

Less than ten days later, on January 26, two envelopes are delivered, within an hour, in two different offices of the agency in Milan: the first at the headquarters of Via San Gregorio, the second on a Dell 'Innovation.

'N PAY THE CONSEQUENCES "- On 14 March, another envelope with suspicious powder was intercepted in Cosenza. The letter, sent to the registered capital of Calabria, contains electric wires with a triggering mechanism. To alert the police post is a postal sorting center of Cosenza, who became suspicious after seeing out of the envelope of gray dust. The letter also contains a sheet with a sentence written in large letters: "you'll pay the consequences." On April 27, false alarm for the two coffee cans connected with electric wire found outside the headquarters of Equitalia in Ivrea, near Turin. The bomb squad of policemen arrived to reclaim the land has not found any trigger.

On May 9, a bomb in the headquarters in Genoa by way of Equitalia Casaccie. The building was evacuated as a precaution, the accesses to the site are blocked by police.

Friday at 11.30, an envelope containing gunpowder was delivered to the Roman Equitalia, on Via Giuseppe Grezar. A first analysis was gunpowder inside but no ignition. The attorney on the case of Rome opened a file. Last night, finally, an attack with blows of Molotov cocktails has occurred against the headquarters of Equitalia of Livorno. Unknown assailants threw two Molotov cocktails against the door tax collection agency on the ground floor by way of Independence, in the city center. The fire caused damage outside the building. Investigates the incident Digos.

Livorno, Molotov against Equitalia

4 Molotov cocktails (two did not ignite) and a bomb against Equitalia.

A Molotov cocktail first, then after a second, the noise of people fleeing the fire that illuminates and Independence Street in the center of Livorno, where the headquarters of Equitalia. It is' an attempt, Digos confirms that from 4.30 am on Saturday doing assessments, together with the Scientific, the entrance of the palace collection agency. The police found abandoned on the road three more bombs and other unexploded bomb paper two Molotov cocktails. But most worrying of rudimentary primers were found that probably should be used to cause a fire that could spread to the rest of the building where there are also apartments.

The damage of the attack fortunately are mild because the alarm was triggered almost immediately.

A letter from someone describing himself as a desperate "maverick" believed to be harassed by the "demon of the tax," which "does not distinguish between poor and billionaires" and are not aware of having violated the rules to be beyond the law.

Clashes outside the headquarters of Equitalia in Naples

NAPLES - The demonstration outside the offices of Equitalia leads to violence. The police charged the demonstrators, one hundred, the "Network against Neapolitan Equitalia" who manned the headquarters of South Course in Naples. "Network" made up of temporary committees, community centers, networks, trade unions and student base.

Firecrackers - Against the offices of the headquarters of the collecting society were thrown eggs filled with red paint and two firecrackers exploded. Then, bottles and stones have gone against the agents of the mobile unit deployed outside the offices. Police responded to the pressure of the demonstrators charging for at least 4 times and throwing tear gas.

Expect the protests to become more frequent and more violent. Protests in Greece started much the same way. Mario Monti, the technocrat appointed to save Italy has lost support.

Reuters reports local vote result dims reform prospects

May 9, 2012 12:18pm EDT

The results of last weekend's local elections in Italy are likely to weaken Prime Minister Mario Monti and make it harder for him to push through unpopular reforms to shield the country from a worsening euro zone debt crisis.

The vote to elect mayors in more than 900 towns and cities saw heavy losses for the centre-right PDL, the largest party backing Monti's technocrat government, and a surge in support for a protest movement that wants Italy to leave the euro.

Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was quoted in Italian media as saying his PDL would no longer "lie down" before Monti after the party suffered a rout at the polls on Sunday and Monday, losing control of dozens of cities.

The centre-left PD, which also lost votes but is likely to boost its number of mayors in run-off ballots thanks to the implosion of the PDL, said Monti must now take more account of its positions, which are increasingly hostile to austerity.

Monti said on Tuesday that he did not believe the vote would affect his government, but many analysts disagree.

"The impression is that Monti is more isolated. Having been the shield of the parties, he now risks becoming their target," said political commentator Massimo Franco in the daily Corriere della Sera.

The only winner at the vote was the 5 Star Movement led by Beppe Grillo, a shaggy-haired comedian who wants Italy to quit the euro and default on its debt and whose caustic invective against the established parties has gained increasing resonance in the wake of a spate of corruption scandals.

Monti is not going to remain in control for long, assuming of course he is still in control in the first place.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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