At least five people were injured and two arrested after clashes between left- and right-wing citizens' patrols in Italy, reviving a controversy over government plans to use the patrols to back up security forces, Reuters reported. The fighting occurred late on Saturday in the town of Massa, in the central Italian region of Tuscany, when a group of youths called the "Antifascist Proletariat Patrol" took to the streets against the right-wing "SSS", which has begun patrols. A scuffle broke out between the rival groups and police officers who intervened, leaving at least five people injured, police sources said. Following the arrest of two of their leaders, members of the leftwing group, an offshoot of a communist party, blocked Massa station for two hours on Sunday and held a demonstration outside police headquarters. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government, elected last year on a promise to crack down on crime, has agreed with its Northern League allies a plan for unarmed citizens' patrols to help police and soldiers on the streets. Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has vowed to proceed with the plan, despite concern over the possible fascist links of at least one group keen to participate. The proposal, which still needs parliamentary approval, is opposed by the left-wing opposition and by civil rights groups, who fear it could lead to racial discrimination and violence.
