Around the protest
Rome, Afternoon July 07 2009

After the arrival in Rome of the prime ministers of the countries participating in the G8 summit - scheduled the following day at the town of L'Aquila - the protests organized by the university students began. In the morning incidents and clashes have led to the arrest of eight students and the seize of another twenty in the areas of Lungotevere, Testaccio and San Giovanni.
In the hot Roman afternoon the manifestation leaves Piazza Barberini to end in Piazza della Repubblica.
The deployment of law enforcements (Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, Digos and Police) is huge and almost steals the scene to the group in motion. Throughout the area, any access road is obstructed.

These photographs depict the atmosphere around the parade.
Towards half past seven in the evening, when everything seems to be complete, the deployments of security forces rushed en masse into the Termini station, where a handful of students organized the blockade of tracks 16 and 17, stopping the arriving trains.
The station is now controlled by the military and the police that move fast in to platoons, beating batons against the shields and striking fear around the presents, mostly tourists and travelers. To follow them closely now becomes more complicated, however is important to remain inside the action. To avoid strokes by both sides is also necessary to move quickly in the right directions in order not to obstruct the operations and, at the same time, find the right shots to tell the story.
The precise and military-led technique used to patroll every corridor and every corner of the huge station, recalls Roman centurions preparing for the battle. Luckily, tonight there will not be. After moments of panic on the tracks, the group of young people is dissipated without violence to remember.