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'You should work online, it's safer' Grillo tells prostitute

Working girl queries M5S leader on party program

03 April, 18:11
'You should work online, it's safer' Grillo tells prostitute (ANSA) - Pompeii, April 3 - Comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo on Thursday advised a prostitute to ply her trade on the Internet to avoid the dangers of street-walking.

Elisa, a well-dressed blonde Italian, stopped the leader of the anti-establishment, anti-Euro 5-Star Movement (M5S) on his way out of the Pompeii archeological site.

"What is your party's program for our line of work?" she asked the gadfly politician, who is on an Italian tour to promote M5S candidates to European Parliament elections in May.

"Are you unemployed?" replied Grillo, who in spite of bystanders' hints, did not immediately catch on to the lady's profession. The penny finally dropped.

"You, madam, should be more curious. You should work on the Internet," Grillo advised.

"What's on the Internet? Are they reopening the brothels?" asked the lady. In Italy it's legal to trade sex for money, but organized prostitution, whether indoors in brothels or controlled by third parties, is prohibited. Brothels became illegal in 1958. "Go to Youporn, and you'll see all kinds of videos, which you can buy and consume in the privacy of your own home, with no dangerous intermediaries," Grillo explained.

"But I want to pay taxes," replied Elisa.

"You're right, I never thought of it that way. We'll see.

Our Movement is open to the most advanced solutions," Grillo answered.

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