TAORMINA, Italy, May 27 -- Clashes between police and protestors erupted in Italy's Taormina on Saturday, during a rally staged against the ongoing annual summit of Group of Seven (G7) most industrialized countries.
Around 3,000 to 3,500 people were estimated to take part in the rally, which was authorized despite the extremely tight security measures during the two-day meeting.
The town of Taormina was in total lockdown for the summit, but the demonstration was allowed in Giardini Naxos, the major seaside location down the hill where Taormina is located.
Tension began to mount when some of the protestors reportedly tried to deviate from the approved path, and Italian police reacted by deploying tear gas at them.
No injuries were reported, however, and the rally continued pacifically after the confrontation.
Demonstrators wanted to make their voices heard by the leaders of the G7 countries, namely the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Some local politicians also joined the anti-G7 rally.
"This is an extraordinary demonstration, in my opinion, since people have come from all over Italy to say that another world is possible," Renato Accorinti, mayor of Messina, told Xinhua.
"We are not 'against', we just are in favor of a different world," the official explained.
The demonstration drew people and groups of various nature and political beliefs, including anarchists, pro-immigration activists, communists, leftist trade unions, anti-globalization activists, and gay rights groups.