Demonstrators from the earthquake-stricken city of L'Aquila clashed with police in central Rome today as they tried to get close to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's office, witnesses said.
At least one person was injured and police in riot gear were trying to control the crowd.
Residents of L'Aquila, where an earthquake last year killed more than 300 people, have complained about the slow reconstruction of their medieval city and want the government to extend tax exemptions for victims of the disaster.
The protest in the centre of Rome is a blow for Mr Berlusconi, who has repeatedly presented his hands-on response to the disaster in L'Aquila as one of the main successes of his two-year old government. He hosted last year's G8 summit in L'Aquila in a show of solidarity for the victims.
But residents say that after a flurry of headline-grabbing initiatives many have been left to fend for themselves as reconstruction money ran out. "We lost everything and they took us for a ride," one demonstrator shouted.
Reuters