Police fired tear gas and made a number of arrests in central Rome on Saturday as an anti-government protest turned violent, leaving several injured.

At least 60 protesters were injured in the confrontation, with one seriously hurt and losing several fingers after a firecracker apparently exploded prematurely in his hand.

Six people were arrested, according to the interior ministry.

Protesters hurled rocks and firecrackers at police, causing around 20 injuries.

Protest organisers said that 15,000 people had taken part in the rally, including workers, students and anti-austerity campaigners.

The protest started peacefully but turned violent when the group reached the Ministry for Industry in the city centre.

Flag-waving protesters shouted slogans against government employment reform plans, and carried banners reading “housing, income, dignity,” and “you can call us NEET,” the English acronym for people not in education, employment, or training.

“Our situation is precarious, and we are angry,” one banner read.

The protesters accused the government of imposing EU directives without concern for their impact on the people.

Protesters threw eggs and oranges at government buildings before turning on police, who blasted them with tear gas, forcing many protesters to flee down side streets.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has put forward a huge cuts programme which will see public spending reduced by €4.5 billion (£3.7bn).

Despite the country’s unemployment rate reaching a record 13 per cent in February and youth joblessness standing at over 42 per cent, he claimed that such reforms were a “precondition for economic recovery.”