Hundreds camp on sweltering Rome street amid tussle over squatted building

Rome, Italy – Ana Bizdoaca has stopped expecting to be able to sleep on a mattress on the pavement a few streets from Rome’s Termini station. A heatwave has pushed temperatures past 40 degrees Celsius (104F).“Our hearts have been torn to pieces,” Bizdoaca said on the ninth night of missing sleep.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4A safe space for Gaza women: A sanctuary to speak, heal and share amid warlist 2 of 4Dangerous summers: How heatwaves and wildfires change life across Europelist 3 of 4Spain imposes border checks on Italy as countermeasure in Ceuta spatlist 4 of 4Pope Leo urges migrant protection, integration on visit to Lampedusaend of listAround her, some 300 people, including vulnerable people and about 100 children, from across the world, are doing the same.Behind them stands the seven-storey former office block known as Spin Time, a squatted building where they all lived until days ago. Bizdoaca has lived there since 2013.First occupied in 2013, it became home to many, including 140 families from more than 20 countries. It started with a simple idea at its centre: housing as a fundamental right.The residents have been outside since July 29, when a small fir...