Middle East News
Frattini: Demonstrators target Italy's embassy in Iran embassies (Roundup)
Feb 9, 2010, 16:38 GMT
Rome/Tehran - Around 100 demonstrators attempted to attack Italy's embassy in Tehran on Tuesday before they were blocked by police, said Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.
Television images showed dozens of men pelting stones at the coat- of-arms above one of the embassy's entrances.
'The demonstrators were shouting: 'Death to Italy! Death to (Prime Minister Silvio) Berlusconi',' Frattini said, speaking in Rome.
There was no serious damage to the embassy due to police intervention, he added.
During a visit to Israel last week, Berlusconi said his country - currently Iran's biggest trade partner in Europe - would support sanctions against the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme.
Similar demonstrations had taken place in front of the Dutch and French embassies, according to Frattini.
The Italian embassy would remain open despite the demonstration, he said.
State Iranian news agency IRNA reported that the protests held in front of the Italian and French embassies were sparked by the two countries' alleged interference in Iran's internal affairs.
Demonstrators at the Italian embassy, located in Rome Street, tried to remove the street sign and rename it Jomhouri Islami (Islamic Republic).
Protesters at the French embassy shouted 'Death to France' and 'Death to (French President Nicolas) Sarkozy,' and threw eggs and tomatoes at the embassy walls, according to IRNA.
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