Italian Police Arrest 36 at Anti-G8 Protest

Italian police have arrested 36 people during protests in Rome ahead of the summit of leaders of the world's eight major industrial countries.

Hooded demonstrators clashed with police and set fires on streets near one of the capital's universities Tuesday.

Police said citizens of France, Germany and Poland were among those arrested.

Separately Tuesday, police in the town of L'Aquila seized clubs from five French protesters close to where the summit is being held. They were not arrested.

About 15,000 police officers have been deployed to L'Aquila to provide security during the three-day gathering, beginning Wednesday.

The G8 summit was originally scheduled to take place on an island, La Maddalena, off the Sardinian coast. Officials moved it to L'Aquila after an April earthquake shook the area and killed almost 300 people. Italian officials said the transfer was aimed at giving the area an economic boost.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.