Police in the northern Italian city of Brescia raided the homes of three militant soccer fans this weekend and discovered a veritable treasure-trove of weapons and neo-Nazi propaganda.
The three fans –a 26-year-old ironworker, a 25-year-old carpenter and a 22-year-old student — “had practically transformed their homes into temples of Nazism,” the daily Corriere della Sera reported Sunday.
The police carried out the raids on the youths, known to be active in skinhead and militant soccer circles, before a hotly contested soccer match Sunday between two local teams.
Security measures for the game were stepped up and the management of both teams appealed to fans to maintain order.
Among the material discovered were banners, flags, pins and badges bearing the swastika and other Nazi insignia, propaganda material, knives, bullets, and a crowbar.
They also found photographs of other skinheads raising their arms in the Nazi salute. Police said investigations were under way to identify these people.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
