Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Rome: close call

On honeymoon in Rome last week. Sitting in lively bar in Campo di Fiori full of young people, very late at night. We were not drunk, had been out strolling all night. Older man, looked middle eastern, strikes up conversation at our table, a few tables away there are shady looking Africa men with large backpacks, one appears to be passed out the other two were kinda leering at me. It all seemed odd, they seemed very out of place in this young crowd. I got up to go to the bathroom and a few seconds later my husband noticed white powder floating in my beer. He shouted to the new "acquaintance" at our table something like " HEY what did you put in my wife's drink." Man denied any knowledge, husband told him to drink it, man refused. Husband alerted bartender, he and a few American patrons confronted man who ran out with the Africans. Bartender furious, said he had never seen this happen. Polizia called, men long gone tho some patrons snapped their photos. Trying to decipher motive: to rob us, to watch me slump over at table? Dunno. Just an alert: watch your drinks carefully, pay attention to surroundings. We dodged a bullet.