Police surrounded the building, which has been housing over 250 people, in an attempt to evict the residents.
However, several dozen squatters including minors climbed onto the roof of the building, banging and screaming "no more homeless" and "we will not leave" in protest, local media reported.
After almost 11 hours of siege of the #extelecom building in #bologna people are still resisting on the top pic.twitter.com/2bdsJTzBC5โ Infoaut_English (@Infoaut_English) October 20, 2015
"They used batons against the mothers," one of the women was quoted as saying by Bologna Repubblica daily. "Shame, here are women and children," she added.
The protesters responded by throwing various objects at police.
According to local media reports, authorities tried talking with the residents first, in an attempt to persuade them that all families with minors would be provided with alternative accommodation.
Comment: If the government already had alternative accommodation, why is it only offering assistance now?
"The situation got out of hand," however, the president of the Navile district, Daniele Ara, told the paper.
#Italy BOLOGNA EVICTION VIDEO: The cop and the strength of the kid. No comments. #ExTelecom https://t.co/SQn75YZuzp pic.twitter.com/pXt9er07wFโ eโถtps (@eatps_) October 20, 2015
Hundreds of people resist against police in #Bologna #ExTelecom
Right to Housing!
Keep resisting @SocialLogBo pic.twitter.com/isvdBipbJFโ Bluto (@blutarski_bluto) October 20, 2015
Ongoing picket beneath the #extelecom #bologna, people refuse to leave without a housing solution for all! pic.twitter.com/My3OSTjOeb โ Infoaut_English (@Infoaut_English) October 20, 2015
The eviction was requested by the city prosecutor and executed by the police, Bologna's Mayor, Virginio Merola, said, as quoted by the Bologna Repubblica daily. He added that officials have been working with social services to find temporary housing for the families.
"For us it is important not to abandon those in need," he stressed.
The building has been occupied by about 300 people - mostly families with children - since December 2014, according to local media. In March, the local court issued an eviction order for the building, which currently belongs to a private fund.
Meanwhile, a protest in solidarity with the Bologna's squatters was held in Rome on Tuesday. Police used water cannons to disperse protesters blocking traffic at Porta Pia. Several protesters were injured and one was taken to the hospital, local Roma Repubblica daily reported.
#Rome charges and water cannons against the blockade in Porta Pia in solidarity with #ExTelecom #Bologna pic.twitter.com/3f8cTQSt8E โ Infoaut_English (@Infoaut_English) October 20, 2015
Comment: 12% is very high and if Italy determine's its unemployment rate in a similar way to the US, then the number is probably a lot higher. See also:
Comment: It's a sad state of affairs in the world where people who need housing are removed from making a creative solution and re-using a building that was probably just going to decay while a "private fund" held onto it to make itself look richer.