TAV protest kiss policeman Italy
Nina De Chiffre kisses a riot police officer on November 16, 2013 during a protest in Susa Getty/AFP

The Italian government is to ban citizens from kissing policemen on grounds of security.

The proposed ban came a few months after a woman was charged with sexual assault for kissing a policeman's helmet during riots against plans to build a new high speed TAV train in Turin in 2013.

Nina De Chiffre, from Milan, said the kiss symbolised her way "to make fun of police".

An AFP photographer managed to capture the moment Chiffre kissed the official and the picture went viral.

The draft law also requires policemen to resist "mild physical contacts and verbal challenges" and to keep a minimum distance with protesters during demonstrations.

The use of batons will only be allowed in extreme cases.

Protesters will be also barred from whistling during protests, carrying out manifestations which are loud and thunderous and forming "human chains" which impede the transit of people and vehicles.

The proposed ban came only a few days after protesters against German multinational corporation ThyssenKrupp clashed with police in Indipendenza square in Rome.

The march resulted in at least eight people injured.

The protesters were demonstrating against ThyssenKrupp's decision to fire 537 workers at the Acciai Speciali Terni (AST) plant in central Italy.