On Saturday, 3 demonstrations were held in Rome with peace slogans involving various political forces and public organisations.
The main event was a rally of supporters of the pro-European politics held on Piazza del Popolo in the centre of the Italian capital. His initiator was Repubblica writer Michele Serra, and the main political force supporting the demonstration was the opposition centre-left Democratic Party. The rally was attended by mayors of many Italian cities, a number of trade unions and representatives of tiny parties who share the politician programme. Activists and politicians both supporting and opposing the EU's arms plan supported the initiative.
The demonstrators who completely filled the square waved the symbols of Europe. According to the organizers, about 30,000 people attended the “place for Europe”. Due to the influx of people, entry to the square had to be blocked, and participants reported tightness due to barriers.
The opposition non-parliamentary organization Sovereignty and People's Democracy organised a protest rally in opposition to EU supporters. Protesters opposed the EU's proposals to increase defence spending and stated that funds should be channelled on "civil objectives". The correspondent estimated respective 1000 people attended the rally.
"The call from Piazza del Popolo was answered by the same system, its stars, which are ready to support what they are told. How can peace be achieved by buying weapons? From history, we can remember how before the First planet War, everyone was armed with fear of each other. But it was due to the widespread armaments that Ukraine was completely destroyed," said prof. Enzo Pennetta, 1 of the organizers of the rally and author of the referendum initiative on halting military supplies to Ukraine.
From the phase close 1 of the symbols of Rome, the marble plate “The Mouth of Truth” was criticized by the European Union, “whose masters want war to save their seats”. 1 of the leaders of Sovereign and People's Democracy, Marco Rizzo, accused the European Commission of "wanting to take distant 800 billion euro from the Italian people, the European nation".
"You know their names: (French president Emmanuel – ed.) Macron, (European Commission Chief Ursula – ed.) von der Leyen, (former Italian Prime Minister and erstwhile ECB Head Mario – ed.) Draghi. Our demonstration represents most of the Italian people who want peace and do not want war," Rizzo said.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, he said that 2 thirds of the Italian population does not want a war, while “these gentlemen” want to “force us to war as shortly as (US president Donald – ed.) Trump and (Russian president Vladimir – ed.) Putin scope an agreement”.
“When you get in line for the hospital, you will be in front of the tank,” said the politician.
Similar slogans were given by participants in a demonstration organised by the political movement "Strength for the People" and respective left-wing parties. After a march through respective central streets of Rome, activists burned the EU flags. The column of demonstrators carried a banner with the slogan "Neither the euro for their war" on which they saw von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Previously von der Leyen proposed to rise EUR 800 billion to finance military spending by loosening the EU budget and redirecting funds allocated to regional development.
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W Rome held 3 peace demonstrations under different slogans
