Tens of thousand of people hold general strike in Italy
Tens of thousands of workers have taken to the streets across Italy as the country's biggest union called a general strike against austerity measures by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government, international media outlets report.
"This is a plan the country doesn't deserve," said Susanna Camusso, the secretary general of the CGIL as she led a protest march through Rome hours before the austerity plan was to go before the Senate on Tuesday.
Marches were also taking place in towns and cities across the country. More than 10,000 were taking part in an anti-austerity demonstration in Florence, and another major march was underway in the port city of Genoa.