Thousands join protest in call for Berlusconi to quit

TENS of thousands of Italians fed up with Silvio Berlusconi marched peacefully through Rome over the weekend to demand the resignation of the scandal-plagued premier.

Organisers called the grassroots protest “No B Day,” with the “B” standing for Berlusconi, the billionaire businessman and conservative leader now in his third term as premier.

Several political opposition leaders said they stayed away to keep the protest a citizens’ one, not a partisan event. Organisers hoped for a turnout of 300,000 people. Rome police estimated the crowd at 90,000.!