Women vs. Silvio Berlusconi

This weekend, thousands of Italian women protesters in more than 60 cities called for the resignation of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The scandal-besmirched Berlusconi — who may face charges for paying for sex with an underage nightclub dancer known as Ruby Heartstealer — dismissed the demonstrations as a "partisan mobilization" against him by the left. Will the seemingly invulnerable Berlusconi prevail again or could the latest round of outrage take him down? (Watch an AP report about the protests)

This is the beginning of the end: The protests are about more than Berlusconi's prostitution scandal, says Iginio Gagliardone in The Huffington Post. Italians are tired of being represented by leaders who do nothing in the face of the country's "slow and constant degradation." Like their fellow protesters in Tunis and Cairo, Italy's women have launched "the process of change," and it will continue until the country's "dignity" has been restored.

"If not now, when?"

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Protests will not be enough: It's a relief to see that "Italian women have finally had enough" with their country's "chauvinistic status quo," says Rachel Ryan at Frum Forum. Unfortunately, simply protesting "Berlusconi's overt sexism" won't send him packing. Until the other politicians involved in Berlusconi's coalition government decide that they've had enough, too, Berlusconi isn't going anywhere.

"Italy's women protest Berlusconi sex scandal"

Don't underestimate Berlusconi: The mass protests were "impressive" in scale, and "good natured," says Alex Roe at Blog from Italy. But remember, Berlusconi is a media tycoon who controls much of what Italians see on television. "Italians can also be sure that Berlusconi will play down the protests using his media weight to help him."

"Mass protests in Italy against Berlusconi"