Protests that block traffic to be banned in Italy

Inmates' relatives form a human chain and block traffic to protest a ban on family visits, as part of new rules introduced to contain the coronavirus outbreak, outside the Poggioreale prison in Naples on Monday - (AFP via Getty Images)

Italy's upper house of parliament has approved a wide-ranging security decree targeting public protests and "legal" cannabis, sparking outrage from opposition groups and civil rights campaigners.

The decree, championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition government, passed the Senate with a 109-69 vote, with one abstention.