Thousands of students have demonstrated in Italy ahead of a Senate vote on controversial education reforms.
Protests in Rome remained orderly, though students clashed with police in Palermo, roads were blocked in Turin, and rubbish set on fire in Naples.
Police prevented a repetition of last week's violent clashes in Rome by blocking off parts of the city centre.
The government says university education has become bloated and inefficient, and needs streamlining.
But critics say Italian universities are already severely under-funded.
In Rome, students in their thousands marched peacefully through the streets.
"We are in the square to protest against [Education] Minister Gelmini and to show that after the 14th of December we are not divided, we are not violent, we are simply here to demonstrate and to validate our ideas," a student called Franco told Reuters TV.
The demonstrators avoided a so-called "Red Zone" created by police blockades to avoid a repeat of last week's violent protests sparked by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi survival of a no-confidence motion.
But clashes were reported in Palermo, Sicily, where some students allegedly threw stones at police and tried to enter a local government building.
In the northern city of Turin, protesters attacked a publishing house owned by the prime minister, while in Naples students reportedly brought traffic to a standstill.
Demonstrations also took place in other cities across Italy, including Milan, Venice, and Perugia.