Thousands of demonstrators travel through Rome, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza
Rome (AP) – Thousands of protests against Gaza on the streets of Rome on Saturday, a protest called by the main Italian opposition parties who accuse the right-wing government of being too silent.
The protesters held a flag that read “Stop the massacre, stop complicity!” It peacefully passed through the center of Rome with a massive display of rainbows, Palestine and party flags.
The protests attracted a wide variety of people from all over the country, including many families with children. According to organizers, the rally organized by the left opposition has been demanding that the government clearly stand in the conflict in Gaza.
The leader of Elly Schlein, the leader of the Italian center’s left-wing Democratic Party, told reporters in March.
“There is another kind of Italy that doesn’t keep silent like the Meloni government,” she said.
Meloni has been recently pushed by opposition opposition to publicly condemning Netanyahu’s offense in Gaza, but many observers think her criticism is too timid.
“(The Italian government) Despite the abnormality of the massacre, despite the reactions that were absolutely cruel and inappropriate. The (Italian) government remains silent.
Earlier this week, the Italian prime minister urged Israel to immediately stop its military campaign in Gaza, saying its attacks were disproportionate and should end to protect civilians.
Israel faces international criticism as its offensive and pressures make aid to Gaza during the humanitarian crisis.
In nearly three months since Gaza was blocked by Israel, experts warned that many of its 2 million residents were at high risk of famine.
The war broke out on October 7, 2023, when militants led by Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapped 251 hostages. They still seized 56 hostages, and about one-third were considered alive.
Since then, Israel has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, in its military movements, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, which has not distinguished between civilians and combatants in its numbers.
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Associated Press reporters Paolo Lucariello and Francesco Sportelli contributed to the report.
