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TV Crowd cheering and Italian neo-Fascist party leader Giorgio Almirante waving from dais at rally in Rome, Italy
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GV Almirante addressing crowd
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SV Crowd applauding and cheering
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GVs & SV Almirante addressing crowd (3 shots)
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GV Crowd cheering and chanting
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Initials BB/2230



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Italy's neo-Fascists -- members of the National Right Italian Social Movement -- have staged a major protest rally against an agreement between the nation's governing Christian Democrat party and the Communist Party. The rally came within 48 hours of a preliminary agreement between the Christian Democrats, the Communists, and three other parties about co-operation in future government legislation.

SYNOPSIS: An estimated ten thousand neo-Fascists gathered in the People's Square in Rome on Thursday (30 June). The rally was led by party leader Giorgio Almirante, who spoke out against a possible coalition between the Christian Democrat Government of Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti and the others following the Wednesday (29 June) agreement. The decision by the Communists to co-operate with the government, which came into power in August last year with a parliamentary minority, came after three months of talks. The agreement still has to be ratified by the executives of the parties concerned.

Signor Almirante and his neo-Fascist party have previously joined other parties in the Italian parliament in calling for an end to the present one-party government system. They've been pressing for a national government of all parties to deal with the nation's grave problems including economic inflation, unemployment, extremist violence, and underdevelopment in the impoverished south. it's the first time for thirty years that the Christian Democrats have entered into a formal pact with their Communist adversaries.