G8 protest at Italian consulate

Police lead away a man injured in the riots in Genoa

BREMEN, Germany -- Anti-capitalists have occupied the Italian consulate in the German city of Bremen in protest at alleged police brutality during the G8 summit in Genoa.

At least six demonstrators forced their way into the building on Friday morning and hung placards saying "occupied" out of the window.

More than 20 demonstrators were also outside the consulate, a police spokesman said.

"They are demanding the release of demonstrators still being held in Italy," he said.

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One protester was killed, 231 people were injured and more than 280 were arrested -- many of them German -- during three days of street clashes between Italian police and demonstrators at the G8 summit last month.

The action in Germany came a day after Dutch police arrested 26 anti-globalisation protestors who had staged a peaceful 12-hour protest occupation of the Italian consulate in Amsterdam. And last week about 1,500 people took part in a protest march in Paris.

Italian prosecutors have opened three investigations into the allegations of police brutality.

A leading member of the German Green party compared police tactics during the summit to the behaviour of the former military dictatorship in Argentina.

The Bremen protest came the day after three senior Italian police chiefs were sacked in connection with the summit.

Interior Minister Claudio Scajola said the officers -- Ansoino Andreassi, the deputy chief of police in charge of the G8, Arnaldo La Barbera, head of the anti-terrorism department, and Francesco Colucci, police superintendent of Genoa -- all resigned, according to the Associated Press.

The allegations of police brutality from officials and demonstrators in Germany, Britain and other European countries embarrassed Premier Silvio Berlusconi's new government.

There were Italian opposition calls for Scajola's own resignation, but the minister easily survived a Senate vote of confidence on Wednesday.

The Interior Ministry and police are conducting internal investigations into the way the protests in Genoa were handled and the lower house of Parliament on Tuesday agreed to appoint a fact-finding commission.