A man struck Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi with a camera tripod Friday in a Rome piazza, giving him a slight bruise but no major injuries, his office said. The premier's bodyguards and police quickly blocked the assailant after the attack in Piazza Navona, a large bustling square at the heart of the capital. Police were questioning the assailant, who was a tourist from the northern town of Mantua, the ANSA news agency said. Berlusconi, who had a slight bruise between his right ear and neck, saw a doctor as a precaution, the report said. The prime minister was "saddened" by the attack, his office said, adding it had no information on the motive.
| "Not as saddened as I woulda been if the somonabitch woulda taken my ear off, though!" |
The conservative premier's allies immediately spoke out against the attack and offered their support. Reforms Minister Roberto Calderoli suggested it was politically motivated, saying the assailant was "crazy, but also a member of the political opposition," according to ANSA. |