Rome 'Occupy' protest turns violent

Violence has broken out in Rome as tens of thousands nicknamed "the indignant" have marched in European cities in protest against capitalism and austerity measures.

As the "Occupy Wall Street" protests took place across the globe on Saturday, some protesters in Rome smashed shop windows, torched cars and attacked news crews.

Black smoke billowed into the air in downtown Rome as a small group of violent protesters broke away from the main demonstration. They smashed car windows, set vehicles on fire and assaulted two news crews of Sky Italia, the TV station reported. Others burned Italian and EU flags.

Al Jazeera's Claudio Lavanga reports from Rome, the Italian capital.