Italian students protest educational reforms

Thousands of students across Italy have occupied university buildings, bridges and piazzas to protest education cuts and reforms being debated by Parliament, news 88.9 radio reports.

Students clashed briefly with police at a protest in Rome, and organizers say two students were detained. The demonstrators had been heading to parliament where lawmakers were discussing budget cuts and other university reforms Wednesday.

Some of the protests drew a few dozen people, others a few thousand. According to the ANSA news agency, about 1,000 students occupied the five main bridges over the river Arno in Pisa, paralyzing traffic.

In Perugia, Turin and Salerno, students and researchers set up shop on the roofs of university buildings.