1.
GTV Prison block
0.06

2.
LV Prisoners on rooftop
0.14

3.
GTV Smoke rising from prison
0.20

4.
GV PAN Armed police on prison wall
0.26

5.
GV Army vehicles along road
0.35

6.
SV&GV Armed reinforcements arrive at prison (2)
0.48

7.
GV ZOOM SV Prisoners on roof
1.04

8.
TV & SV Police and troops (2)
1.09

9.
LV & SV Prisoners on rooftop (2)
1.20

10.
LV Prisoners on rooftop - pull back GV Prison block
1.30



Initials ES. 1900 TM/BO'B/SK 2319



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Italian riot police surrendered Rome's Queen of Heaven jail on Friday (27 July) as five-hundred rebel prisoners continued to riot.

The prisoners, demanding jail and other reforms, sacked the nineteenth-century building during Thursday night (26 July) during and smashing everything in sight. They destroyed the library and records office. The prisoners' rampage of destruction is the latest outburst in a long succession of jail riots in Rome and other Italian cities.

The riot began when the men mistakenly thought one of their companions was to be moved against his will to another jail.

Fifteen-hundred police stood by on Friday night (27 July) with are lamps trained on the building, but took no action except to lay down a heavy barrage of tear gas when the men tried at one stage to make a mass escape.

Many of the prisoners stood watching from the prison roof and pelted police with roof tiles and other missiles if they came too near. Attempts to talk with the men were met with a torrent of abuse and volleys of stones.