Hey, marchers, leave them kids at home!

The Italian newspaper La Repubblica today reported a proposal by Forza Italia, the major party in the ruling centre-right coalition, to ban kids of 11 years or younger from street demonstrations. The reason? That they're not capable of understanding the issues, and that participation places their "development" in "danger". In the Italian:

"Un minore di 11 anni non può avere la consapevolezza e la capacità di giudizio necessarie per prendere parte ad una manifestazione - si legge nella proposta di legge - Strumentalizzare un bambino, per qualsiasi motivazione, significa mettere in pericolo il suo sereno sviluppo"

If kids do join a demo, the proposal envisages that the organisers should immediately cancel the event, or alternatively inform their local copshop which will then have the power to stop the march. Parents that take their kids on demos would be liable to a fine of 500 to 2,000 Euros.

Comment is superfluous. File under "Only in Berlusconi's Italy".