AROUND 100,000 anti-fascist demonstrators rallied in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo at the weekend in the wake of growing anti-refugee violence.

It was the last weekend for political rallies before Italy's March 4 national election and the Rome protest was one of at least a dozen marches or rallies held in several cities by both left and right.

The Rome mobilisation was organised by a coalition including the CGIL militant trade union federation, the National Association of Italian Partisans (Anpi) and the Communist Refoundation party. Democratic Party Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and a number of his ministers joined the protest.