Video of Italian PM Berlusconi Being Hit in the Face with a Replica of the Milan Cathedral

Here is video that shows Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi actually being hit in the face with what appears to be an object thrown at him from a crowd in Milan. The Times Online identifies the object as a metal replica of the Milan Cathedral:

The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was struck in the face yesterday by a man holding a small replica of Milan's cathedral, leaving him with two broken teeth and forcing him to spend the night in hospital.

Witnesses said Mr Berlusconi was attacked after a political rally in the centre of Milan, as he was signing autographs in the square in front of the cathedral, the Duomo. He had just finished giving a speech to rally support for his ruling coalition amid continuing speculation about his future and an increasingly divided government.

He slumped to the ground after he was struck and his security guards immediately took him to San Raffaele hospital for treatment.

The man accused of attacking Mr Berlusconi, 73, was immediately arrested, as the crowd yelled abuse at him. The suspect, Massimo Tartaglia, 42, did not appear to have any political affiliations. Police said he had no criminal record and was not among the small group of protesters at the rally, but they said that he has been treated for mental health issues at Milan’s Policlinico Hospital for the past ten years. . . . MORE