Anti-Bush protesters clash with Rome police

ROME, June 9 (Reuters) Police in riot gear charged and fired tear gas at demonstrators protesting against US President George W Bush's visit to Rome today.

Dozens of demonstrators threw bottles at police and overturned tables in the centre of the Italian capital.

The protesters, some wearing motorcycle helmets and bandanas to cover their faces, also shattered a window of a bank.

At least two policeman were injured by glass and at least one marcher was reported injured in a clash with police.

Tear gas wafted into Rome's famous Piazza Navona, which had been the scene of a demonstration that was for the most part peaceful.

Organisers of the march, some of them using loudspeakers mounted on trucks, urged the violent demonstrators to stop and later invited peaceful marchers to leave the area.

Police were seen taking away some of the protestors and local media reports said some were arrested for covering their faces in demonstrations, which is illegal in Italy.

Restaurants and shopkeepers lowered their shutters.

The incident was far from where Bush was staying at the US ambassador's residence, in another quarter of the city.

It was also more than a kilometre from the Vatican, where Bush had met Pope Benedict earlier today.

About 12,000 demonstrators, most of them peaceful, staged protests in Rome against the US-led war in Iraq and the expansion of a U.S. military base in Italy.

REUTERS PBB PM0117