Leading up to 2009 there had been several instances of rioting against the government of the day, these riots and even peaceful protests were put down mercilessly by Pro-government forces. On the 2nd February 2009; the city of Palermo rose up and declared independence under a man known as The General, in the following months the island of sicily fell rapidly as did most of southern Italy, During October Rebel Forces laid siege to Rome forcing the government to flee. On 13 November The government fell and the Sicilian Alliance was officially born