Italian women plan to throw knickers for justice

As if his sexcapades aren’t enough to embarrass him, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is about to face more: A group of women plan to throw pairs of knickers at his mansion in protest of his involvement in an alleged prostitution ring.

The bizarre protest is targeted at his apparent obsession with scantily clad showgirls. Thousands of women will also participate in the online campaign started by La Repubblica newspaper.

"I'm a woman and I say 'enough',” the Telegraph quoted many of the women as writing, while others submitted their photographs inscribed with messages condemning "men who buy and sell women's bodies.”

The demonstration in Milan will probably be attended by Umberto Eco, the author of The Name of the Rose, and Paul Ginsborg, a British historian who teaches at Florence University.

A civil society group, Liberty and Justice also claims to have collected 100,000 signatures demanding that Mr Berlusconi resign immediately.

"In no other democratic country would a prime minister, faced with such serious legal accusations, remain in office longer than a few hours," the group said in a statement.