Tens of thousands of people have marched through the streets of Rome in protest against the war in Gaza. The demonstration was called by Italy’s main opposition parties, who accuse the right-wing government of being too silent on the matter.
Protesters carried a banner reading “Stop the massacre, stop complicity!” as they began the march. The demonstration proceeded peacefully through the center of Rome, with a large presence of rainbow, Palestinian, and political party flags.
The protest drew a diverse crowd from across Italy, including many families with children.
Organizers estimated that up to 300,000 people participated in the rally, organized by the leftist opposition to urge the government to take a clear position on the conflict in Gaza.
“This is an enormous popular response to say enough to the massacre of Palestinians and the crimes of (Israeli leader Benjamin) Netanyahu’s government,” said Elly Schlein, leader of Italy’s center-left Democratic Party, to reporters at the march.
“There is another Italy that doesn’t remain silent as the Meloni government does,” she added, referring to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Ms. Meloni was recently pressed by the opposition to publicly condemn Mr. Netanyahu’s offensive in Gaza, but her criticism was considered too mild by many observers.
“(The Italian government) is not reacting despite an abnormal massacre, despite an absolutely cruel and inappropriate reaction. The (Italian) government remains silent,” said Nadin Unali, a Tunisian demonstrator at the march.
Earlier in the week, the Italian premier called on Israel to immediately halt its military campaign in Gaza, stating that its attacks had become disproportionate and needed to end to protect civilians.
Israel is facing increasing international criticism for its offensive and growing pressure to allow aid into Gaza during the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for almost three months, and experts are warning that many of its two million residents are at high risk of famine.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 hostages.
Fifty-six hostages are still being held, with around a third believed to be alive.
Since then, Israel has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians in its military campaign, primarily women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures.
