Thousands march in Florence after racist shootings

Thousands marched against racism in Florence on Saturday after a far-right activist killed two Senegalese street vendors in a shooting spree in the historic Italian city this week.

"We want today to be the dawn of a new hope so that our brothers did not die in vain," said Pape Diaw, a spokesman for the Senegalese community.

"We really have to work for peaceful coexistence and respect of people but it has to be a real struggle not just a facade," he told reporters.

The city is still in shock after Gianluca Casseri, a Holocaust denier and author of fantasy novels, went on the rampage on Tuesday with a Magnum revolver at two local markets including tourist-heavy San Lorenzo in the centre.

Two Senegalese street vendors were killed and another three wounded before the 50-year-old killed himself when police began closing in on him.

Dozens of Senegalese gathered at the Dalmazia Square market where the spree began to read passages from the Koran and pray in commemoration of the dead ahead of the march, as others left flowers and messages at an impromptu shrine.

"There needs to be a strong commitment against racism by everyone and we need to put in place an immigration policy in line with our constitution," said Vannino Chiti, a senator from the centre-left Democratic Party.

Chiti, who took part in the demonstration, said Italian law should be changed before the next elections to allow the children of immigrants to obtain citizenship -- echoing a demand made by President Giorgio Napolitano.

Several members of the Senegalese community have also called for the immediate closure of Casa Pound, a national right-wing social group that Casseri belonged to but which has been quick to denounce the violence.

Many street vendors in Italian cities, who sell everything from African sculptures to tourist trinkets to fake designer accessories, are Senegalese.