Protesters target Italian embassy

Police lead away a man injured in the riots in Genoa

LONDON, England -- The Italian Embassy in London has been picketed by protesters following allegations of police brutality in Genoa after the anti-G8 riots.

Several British members of the anti-capitalist organisation Globalise Resistance have claimed they were beaten and held illegally by Italian police.

Four of five Britons arrested when police raided the headquarters of protest organisation the Genoa Social Forum (GSF) last Saturday arrived back in the UK on Thursday saying they would launch legal action over alleged brutality.

They said police beat them with batons, inflicting head injuries and broken bones, then held them in prison for four days without access to British authorities or their families.

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UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is examining claims they had to wait longer than Spanish detainees for meetings with their national consuls.

Saturday's protest in London comes as Britain considers making an official complaint to the Italian authorities about their treatment.

Globalise Resistance spokesman Guy Taylor said: "The protest will call for the Italian police to be put on trial for what they have done and an end to brutality everywhere against the anti-globalisation movement."

Jonathan Blair, 38, from Newport, Daniel McQuillan, 35, Richard Moth, 32, from north London, and his girlfriend Nicola Doherty, 27, were released after appearing before an Italian magistrate on Wednesday.

The other freed Briton, Mark Covell, 33, from London, remains in an Italian hospital where he is being treated for internal bleeding and broken ribs.

He claims he was beaten unconscious by police.

Two other Britons arrested during the summit, Lawrence Miles, 25, and John Colin Blair, 19, originally from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, were freed earlier.

Italian authorities are investigating accusations of brutality and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has promised there would be no government cover-up.

Berlusconi told the upper house of parliament, the Senate, on Friday: "As far the government is concerned, we will not cover up anything."

Straw has said he has spoken to the Italian Ambassador about the issue.

"There is an issue about the timeliness with which our consuls, who worked extremely hard on behalf of all of those United Kingdom citizens arrested, were allowed to see British citizens in custody," he told the BBC on Friday.

"If I think there are good grounds for making a complaint with a capital C when I've got the evidence about that then of course one will be made."

Donald Anderson, the Labour MP who chairs the House of Commons foreign affairs select committee, called for a full inquiry into the alleged police brutality.

"I think that very serious allegations have been made. Clearly there is a very strong case to answer, because these people came out bloodied, and they are saying that it was a one-sided affair on the part of the police, and I think it will be good even for Italy to have a full, independent inquiry so these allegations can be fully aired," he told BBC Radio 4.