Italy: Rightists hang mannequins to protest 'economic suicides'

Rome, 11 May (AKI) - A far-right Italian political party has hanged dozens of life-sized mannequins from bridges in Rome to protest reforms implemented by Italian's unelected prime minister, Mario Monti.

Monti, the European Central Bank and their political supporters "are making Italians commit suicide," said a statement by the Rome branch's leader of the La Destra (The Right), Giuliano Castellino.

A spate of suicides in Italy have been blamed on economic desperation as businesses close and workers lose jobs amid Italy's fourth recession in 11 years.

Dozens of Italians have killed themselves at an average of one a day, according to Eures, an economic and social think-tank. An unemployed plumber in Sicily died Friday after setting himself on fire in his car, and a businessman in the southern Puglia region hanged himself from a tree.

On Thursday, police cut down the lifeless body of an out-of-work middle-aged man dangling from a tree in woods near the Tuscan town of Prato.

Since their emergency appointment in November amid a debt crisis that toppled Silvio Berlusconi's conservative government, Monti and his government of so-called technocrats have raised taxes, made it more difficult for workers to retire, launched a war on tax invasion and forced opened protected sectors to more encourage more competition.

"The numerous suicides are like data from a daily war bulletin, caused by the economic crisis and economic politics, taxes and the cancellation of rights all implemented by this unelected government and imposed Europe," Castellino said.