Rome (CNN) -- Angry protesters threw rocks and bottles and police lobbed tear gas canisters Tuesday in Rome's streets after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi narrowly survived lawmakers' confidence votes.
A crowd of several hundred protesters smashed motorcycles and police vehicles as they erupted in violence and clashed with authorities following the votes. Small fires were burning in various spots, and loud explosions could be heard from firecrackers or flash-bang devices.
Police charging down the Via del Corso -- one of Rome's main shopping areas -- were pushing back protesters "slowly but surely," said CNN's Dan Rivers, but he noted the protesters were "clearly very angry".
Berlusconi retained his position Tuesday after the nation's upper and lower houses of parliament voted in his favor.
The vote in the upper house, or Senate, was 162-135 with 11 abstentions. The lower house, or Chamber of Deputies, turned in a much narrower margin -- 314-311, with two abstentions. The vote was the latest in a series on the prime minister's leadership. CNN
