WATCH: Protester BLASTED off her feet by water cannon during Italy riots

Wild footage from Bologna shows a young protester being knocked to the ground after riot police hit her with a powerful water cannon. The woman, dressed in red and carrying a handbag, was walking near the front of the crowd before the blast sent her flying. The dramatic scene came as unrest spread across northern Italy, with clashes reported in Bologna, Milan and several other cities. Police in Milan used tear gas and water cannons after hooded protesters smashed shop windows and set rubbish bins alight. Authorities said hundreds of young people were detained across the weekend, with dozens arrested during the escalating disorder.