Protest against govt economic policy, education budget cuts

(11 Oct 2008) 1. Pan of police in front of demonstrators waving flags 2. Pan of demonstrators holding banner (Italian): "Opposition is in our hands" 3. Tilt down from flag waving to demonstrators 4. Tilt up from demonstrators parading to flags 5. UPSOUND: (Italian) Demonstrator addressing protest, no name available: "It is not possible that all the governments that come cut funds to public schools. Eight billion (b) euros (11 billion dollars) of cuts are too much. One hundred thousand teachers will go home. This must stop." 6. Pan of demonstrators waving flags and dancing to the music 7. Closer pan of demonstrators holding a big banner 8. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Lucia Iome, Italian federation of Young Communists: "I am angry because I would like that all students have equal opportunities to access school and we don't want cuts on our future, eight billion (b) euros (11 billion dollars) of cuts are too much for us and this is why we want to occupy our schools." 7. Demonstrators holding signs against the Italian education minister 8. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Massimo Reto, natural science teacher: "We are against the reform that kills schools and makes them less and less credible." 9. Demonstrator carrying children 10. Demonstrators holding signs against the Italian education minister 11. Close up of obituary of the Italian education minister 12. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Lucia Valente, student at Florence University: "We lament the fund cuts to university grants and teacher's schools. The professor's turnover won't be restored and and so many classes will be suppressed." 13. Close of feet passing by camera 14. Pan of demonstrators walking towards Colosseum 15. Tilt down from flags in front of Colosseum to demonstrators walking STORYLINE: More than 20,000 demonstrators gathered in Rome on Saturday to protest against Italy's cuts to Italy's education budget. Demonstrators waved red flags and sang chants targetting education minister Mariastella Gelmini. Gelmini has enacted wide ranging reforms of the education system resulting in staff cuts. The demonstrators expressed their fears that the announced cuts are too deep. A long confrontation between the government and the trade unions is expected as more than 80,000 people employed in the public education system risk losing their jobs. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...