Italian Troops Deploy in Crime-Ridden Town

Italian troops manned checkpoints and checked vehicles as they deployed Saturday in a crime-ridden, mob-plagued southern area of the country where six Africans were gunned down last month.

The 500 soldiers deployed in and around Caserta, a small town near Naples. The Camorra organized crime syndicate is based in the area.

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The Sept. 18 gangland-style shooting of the Africans sparked rioting in an area already rife with lawlessness and violence. Police believe the Camorra orchestrated the slayings to punish the Africans for getting involved in drug trafficking, one of its lucrative activities.

As the troops deployed, thousands of immigrants and other people marched through the streets of Caserta to defend the immigrants’ rights and demand that they be protected from racists and mobsters alike. A huge banner at the demonstration said: “United against the Camorra and racism.”

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