Saturday, October 27, 2018

Five Star Movement Failing to Take Care of Basics

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Rome to protest at the Italian capital's run-down state.  Demonstrators gathered outside the city hall to denounce Mayor Virginia Raggi for failing to tackle issues including uncollected rubbish and potholed roads.

Raggi took control of Rome in 2016 for the Five Star Movement (M5S), which formed a national coalition government earlier this year.  Her popularity has fallen after failing to address the indebted city's issues.  The protest follows the collapse of an escalator on one of the main metro stations, which injured more than 20 people earlier this week.

Demonstrators' favorite prop was the ubiquitous plastic orange netting that continues to cordon off areas of damaged roads, dangerous pavements and fallen trees that have been chronically ignored by the city administration.

Other problems that the city faces include rats and wild boar roaming the streets and poor transport services - some 20 buses have reportedly caught fire this year alone.  Videos posted online have shown a number of wild boar running through the streets and feasting on rubbish.

Rome's first female mayor says she is making progress tackling the city's problems, and needs more time to finish the job.  But critics say things are getting worse, not better.

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