Italian police, protesters clash near far-right rally ahead of elections

Clashes broke between police and protesters near a rally by Italian election frontrunner Giorgia Meloni, police have said, after she complained about the lack of law and order at her events.

On Tuesday evening, riot officers charged a group of around 50 people trying to disrupt Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party rally in Palermo, Sicily, media reports said on Wednesday.

Police said in a statement that "containment" measures were used on a group of demonstrators, saying an officer was hit by one protester.

A demonstrator was also held after throwing a bottle at police, the statement said. Reports said they were released a few hours later.

The Repubblica daily newspaper said one of its reporters was hurt in the clashes, which it documented in a video published online.

The Sicilian parliamentary press association said other journalists were also pushed, adding that it "hopes these are only incidents and not the restoration of a climate that must belong only to history".

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'Enemies of democracy'

Meloni on Wednesday offered her "solidarity" with the journalist hurt and accused the protesters of being "enemies of democracy" who wanted to disrupt her election campaign.

She had on Monday published a video accusing Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese of failing to maintain public order at her events.

She said protesters had disrupted numerous events, insulting her party and supporters, warning of "the risk that someone may at some point get wound up and accidents may happen".

Meloni's Brothers of Italy party is topping opinion polls ahead of Sunday's vote and looks set to take power with her coalition allies, Matteo Salvini's far-right League party and Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing Forza Italy party.

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