NGOs are denouncing the authorities' lack of response in Rome following clashes that took place between migrants and police in the city's Piazza Indipendenza. Migrants were camping there after having been evicted from a building they were squatting in nearby.
There's an almost surreal calm in Piazza Indipendenza, after police dispersed a group of migrants who had been camping there after having been evicted from a nearby building where they had been squatting. The building eviction took place a couple of days ago and the migrants and refugees had already been sleeping on the street for nearly a week when the clashes took place Thursday. Now, NGOs are denouncing the lack of a response from the city's institutions and authorities.
"No response" from institutions
Luca Blasi, a worker with the humanitarian organisation Intersos, said that after the migrants were dispersed from Piazza Indipendenza. About 60 of them sought shelter at the Baobab Experience in the Tiburtina neighbourhood, while others continued sleeping on the street. Blasi spoke at a press conference with migrants and representatives from organisations the day after the clashes.
"At the moment there's been no response on the part of the institutions," he said. The City of Rome signed an agreement with the SEA company, which manages the building where the squatters had been living, to make six units available for housing about 40 people considered the most vulnerable for a period of six months, without any cost to the city government. For the rest of the migrants, however - nearly all of whom are documented refugees from Ethiopia with their papers in order - Blasi said, "Rome is staying quiet".
Other organisations, including UNHCR, Save the Children, and UNICEF have also spoken out, with UNICEF citing "terrified children". Amnesty International Italy spokesman Riccardo Noury said the clashes were "very serious" both for the number of people involved as well as what he said was excessive use of force. "This city's authorities must absolutely put a serious reception plan in place," he said. He said the Italian government "gives protection with one hand and takes away rights with the other".
"No one likes squatting, but the right to a home is part of reception, otherwise one becomes invisible," Noury said.
"The police said that we're mice"
During the press conference, migrants told stories of what happened during the clearing of the square. "I asked a police officer if I could look for my identification documents, but he told me we had to leave, that we're mice," said a woman. "You can't compare human beings to animals. They should be ashamed," she said. Another woman said she has been a legal refugee in Italy for 10 years. "We'd been sleeping in the square with our children for five days, they beat us in front of our children, and I'm pregnant," she said, showing bruises on her arm. "Where is the freedom? Where are we to sleep with our children? There's no respect," she said.
Other migrants appealed to the Vatican for support. "We call on the pope," they said. "Francis is the whole world's pope, but we haven't had any signs from the Vatican so far. We're asking him to help us".