Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in various Italian cities on Saturday, calling for peace in both Gaza and Ukraine.
In Rome, around 10,000 people marched through the city center, carrying a large peace flag in front of the iconic Colosseum.
The demonstration was organized by the Italian Disarmament Network, the CGIL labor union, several opposition center-left parties, the war doctors charity Emergency, and various other peace advocacy groups.
Many participants expressed deep concern over the high number of civilian casualties in both conflicts, urging the Italian government and the international community to convene a peace conference under the auspices of the United Nations.
Additional rallies took place in cities such as Turin, Milan, Florence, Bari, Palermo, and Cagliari, supported by hundreds of organizations advocating for peace.
These marches came amid escalating violence in the Middle East, highlighted by Israel’s overnight attacks against Iran on Saturday morning.
Maurizio Landing, leader of the CGIL union, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Our strongest request is a cease-fire to allow governments to initiate a genuine peace conference, as the new world order cannot be shaped by war.”