The funeral of a Nazi war criminal was cancelled at the last minute in Italy this week after protesters broke into the compound where the ceremony was taking place.
More than 500 people took to the streets of the town of Albano Laziale, in central Italy, to prevent the burial of Erich Priebke, shouting “executioner” and “murderer” as the coffin was transported to a Society of St Pius X seminary for the funeral.
The former German SS officer died on Friday aged 100. He had been serving a life sentence under house arrest in Rome for his role in killing more than 300 Italian civilians in 1944 on Hitler’s instructions.
Following his death last week, the Vatican issued a ban on any Catholic church in Rome holding his funeral.
