Italian police warn of armed attacks by anti-vaxxers

FILE PHOTO: Protesters demonstrate against the Green Pass plan (health pass), a certificate that shows if someone has received at least the first dose of the vaccine, has tested negative or has recently recovered from COVID-19, that has become mandatory to access an array of services and leisure activities, in Rome, Italy, August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo

ROME (Reuters) - Italian police warned on Thursday that anti-vaccine campaigners had called for armed attacks during planned anti-government protests this weekend, and that eight people were being investigated for incitement to crime.

A police statement said searches had been conducted in six Italian provinces, including Milan, Rome and Venice, and that the eight placed under investigation were part of a group calling itself "the warriors" on the Telegram messaging app.