ROME, Jan 22: Italy is to introduce far-reaching restrictions on where demonstrations can be held after a row over a recent protest by Muslims outside Milan cathedral, Italian newspaper reported on Thursday.

The ministerial directive will ban demonstrations in front of all places of worships, barracks, commercial or cultural centres, highly populated areas and other “sensitive zones”, La Repubblica reported.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni will send a circular to all regional governors to ensure that “events like those that took place in front of Milan Cathedral do not happen again”, the daily Corriere della Sera reported.

A ministerial directive on the issue will be ready by February, an interior ministry spokesman said, without saying anything about its contents.

On Jan 3, several hundred Muslims protesting the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip knelt down for prayers led by an imam for several minutes in front of the cathedral, provoking outrage among the Italian right.

Leaders of Milan’s Muslim community subsequently apologised to the Archbishop of Milan Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi.

Maroni is a member of the anti-immigration Northern League, which is part of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing coalition government.

Italy has about 1.2 million Muslims.—AFP