Letter Bombs At Rome Gay Bar

Two "letter bombs" were thrown at a gay bar in Rome yesterday, leaving several people with injuries.

There was widespread panic when two letter bombs were thrown at a bar in a gay neighbourhood in the centre of the Italian capital Rome late Tuesday in an escalation of anti-gay violence. Italian media reports said the explosive devices were thrown from two motorcycles. Several people were injured in the attack, and one was taken to nearby San Giovanni Hospital for aid. "It all happened very quickly unleashing panic in the streets. There were people screaming and running everywhere," said the president of Italy's national gay rights organisation, Arcigay, Fabrizio Marrazzo, quoted by Italian media. "If anyone would have been closer [to the explosions], someone would have lost their life," Arcigay said on the organisation's website on Wednesday.

Rome has seen a rash of anti-gay attacks in recent weeks. Last week a gay couple was viciously attacked, one of the men was knifed in the abdomen.

UPDATE: Towleroad points us to this news report from Italian television.