Man stages Vatican dome protest

Firefighters look at Italian businessman Marcello di Finizio standing above his banner which reads in Italian "Help!! Enough Monti (Italian Premier Mario Monti), enough Europe, enough multinationals, you are killing all of us. Development?? This is a social butchery!!", as he protests on St. Peter's 130-meter-high (42-feet-high) dome (AP)

An Italian man has eluded Vatican security and scaled the 42ft (130m) high dome of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican to protest over Italian government and European Union policies.

Officials said the man, who identified himself as the owner of a beach resort, refused appeals from government ministers offering to meet him if he would come down.

He put up a banner saying "Help! Enough Monti!", referring to Italian Premier Mario Monti, who has been implementing tough austerity measures and economic reforms to bring down Italy's debt and deficit and spur growth.

AP