DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING WITH BANNERS AND PLACARDS: POLICE SCUFFLE WITH DEMONSTRATORS: INJURED BEING CARRIED AWAY: AMBULANCE WINDOW BROKEN: POLICE ARRESTING DEMONSTRATORS.




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Background: VIOLENT DEMONSTRATIONS MARKED PRESIDENT NIXON'S VISIT TO ITALY, WHICH ENDED THIS MORNING WHEN MR. NIXON FLEW TO PARIS. LAST NIGHT HUNDREDS OF LEFT-WING DEMONSTRATORS CLASHED WITH POLICE NEAR THE AMERICAN EMBASSY, AND LATER TEAR-GAS WAS USED TO PREVENT SOME 7000 DEMONSTRATORS FROM REACHING THE QUIRINALE PALACE WHERE MR. NIXON WAS CONFERRING WITH PRESIDENT SARAGAT.

DEMONSTRATIONS BEGAN ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE MR. NIXON'S ARRIVAL WHEN STUDENTS BARRICADED THEMSELVES INTO ROME UNIVERSITY AFTER MARCHING THROUGH THE STREETS WITH BANNERS AND PLACARDS, CHANTING ANTI-AMERICAN SLOGANS. YESTERDAY THE STUDENTS BROKE OUT OF THE FACULTIES AND JOINED UP WITH COMMUNISTS. THE POLICE REFUSED TO ALLOW THE DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING FIFTEEN ABREAST TO APPROACH THE AMERICAN EMBASSY AND THE QUIRINALE PALACE WHERE THE TWO PRESIDENTS WERE CONFERRING. CLASHES STARTED WHEN THE MARCHERS BROKE UP AND FORMED GROUPS. THEY THREW STONES AT POLICE AND AT PASSING CARS, AND AT LEAST TWO CARS WERE BURNT NEAR THE EMBASSY.

IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE INJURED. ONE STUDENT FELL OFF A FOURTH-FLOOR BALCONY AND LATER DIED IN HOSPITAL. POLICE DETAINED A NUMBER OF DEMONSTRATORS, BUT THEY STATED THAT THOUGH MANY WERE CHARGED, ONLY EIGHT WERE HELD IN CUSTODY.