Italy's lawyers followed the lead of taxi drivers on Friday by taking to the streets to protest against a government liberalisation scheme. Wrapping up a two-week strike, thousands of defence lawyers marched through Rome in a demonstration which onlookers said verged on the surreal.
The elegantly-attired protesters, many women dressed in black court robes and carrying briefcases and whistles, were met near the premier's office by a wall of police in riot gear.
Several lawyers who managed to give the police the slip and reach the government offices were immediately hauled back past the security cordon.
The protest was marked by moments of tension as insults flew and police and demonstrators exchanged shoves. The lawyers are up in arms over a deregulation decree presented in a surprise move by the new, centre-left government at the end of June.
The decree, which has already come into effect but will lapse unless it is approved by parliament over the next two months, abolishes the minimum-fee regime used by lawyers. Part of the effect would be to allow no-win, no-fee practices to be introduced into Italy.
Lawyers would also be allowed to advertise their services, set up partnership firms and claim a percentage of settlements in civil cases.
The government says the reforms, which have been championed by consumer rights' groups, will introduce greater competition and bring the profession into line with practices prevalent in many European Union countries. But lawyers say the changes will only benefit big companies and drive those operating individually, who are the majority, out of business.
The Italian Association of Young Lawyers said that "the government must do some backpeddling - lowering fees and allowing indiscriminate advertising does not mean liberalising the market. On the contrary, it means putting it in the hands of large companies, the only ones who will be
able to meet the costs and offer cheap services".
The lawyers have caused havoc for Italy's judicial system over the past two weeks by boycotting hearings.
The wide-ranging decree has had other categories up in arms, from taxi drivers, chemists and notaries to bakers and vets.
Chemists across the country shut up shop on Wednesday in protest at plans to allow supermarkets to sell non-prescription drugs with discounts of up to 20%. Most of Italy's 16,000 privately-run pharmacies took part in the unprecedented stoppage and are threatening a second strike on July 25.
The chemists say their protest is "in the interests of public health", arguing that the decree will encourage Italians to buy more and unnecessary drugs. On Monday the government reached a deal with taxi drivers who staged two weeks of disruptive and often violent wildcat strikes and demos against plans to liberalise the cab licensing system.
The government dropped its bid to boost Italy's small fleet of taxis by allowing the assignment of multiple licences to a single person or company.
The unions argued that this would have allowed major groups like Fiat to buy up licences and then hire drivers at their own rates, forcing independent drivers out of the market and pushing down earnings.
Instead, the government accepted union proposals that two or more drivers be able to operate under a single licence so that each vehicle would then be working non-stop.
Consumer associations expressed concern that other protesting categories would be successful in watering down the reforms.
Vets are angry over the bid to abolish minimum fees in their sector while bakers are planning a protest in Rome next week over the abolition of a norm dating back to 1956 which restricts the amount of bread that can be baked in any given administrative district.
Notaries are also upset because the decree removes the need for their approval in the sale of second-hand cars, motorbikes and boats. Banks and car insurance firms are expected to take action against the decree as well.
The government has stood by the reforms, saying they will bring down prices and abolish anachronistic privileged market positions.
Prodi said earlier this month that it would allow Italy to "lose ten kilos of fat and gain five kilos of muscle". Consumer groups are busy collecting signatures in support of the decree, which they say will save Italian families at least 1,000 euros a year.
But Prodi's weak parliamentary majority could also spell trouble for the measures. Lawyers and notaries are a particularly strong force in parliament, accounting for 15% of all MPs, while some members of Prodi's own nine-party coalition have expressed doubts about the reforms.
Justice Minister Clemente Mastella said on Friday that it was important to avoid conflict with the affected categories, urging "constructive dialogue" with them.
