Police in Rome are searching for members of a mob of youths who burst into the city's LGBT centre, ransacking the building. The attack on Mario Mieli Homosexual Cultural Circle occurred on Thursday night while members were in the building, reports 365gay.com. As they attempted to confront the gang the youths yelled anti-gay and anti-Semitic slogans. As they ran off the gang yelled praises for Benito Mussolini, Italy's wartime dictator. "We fear that this situation is linked to the electoral climate," the association said in a statement. Rome is in the midst of a mayoral runoff between rightist and leftist candidates. Earlier this week, Silvio Berlusconi became Prime Minister when his right-wing coalition swept national elections. In 2004, during his last stint as Prime Minister Berlusconi's handpicked man to be the European Union's human rights chief was rejected by an EU committee after Rocco Buttiglione called homosexuality "a sin" and that marriage existed "to allow women to have children and to have the protection of a male.'' Reacting to the EU move, a Berlusconi cabinet minister launched into a homophobic tirade. "Poor Europe: the faggots are in the majority," Mirko Tremaglia declared. Fascist and Nazi youth have stepped up their visibility since the election. In the north of Italy this week police broke up what is described as a neo-Nazi gang arresting sixteen people on charges ofinciting discrimination, hatred and violence based on race, ethnicity and nationality. Police said the gang had ties to skinhead and Neo-Nazi groups in Austria, Switzerland and Germany.