Thousands attend banned pro-Palestinian march in Rome

Ban ensures war not peace, 'Fascist state' stopping participants

By: ansa.it

Oct 05 2024
23
4592 Views

Thousands attend banned pro-Pa

About 5,000 people on Saturday attended a banned pro-Palestinian march in Rome.
    With major security measures in place in the Italian capital, some 1,600 people were checked and 19 of them were taken to police stations to assess their position for the purpose of a possible order to leave the Italian capital.
    The march took place amid fears that extremists may be trying to infiltrate the march, which has gone ahead despite the public order ban.
    The march came two days before Monday's anniversary of the October 7, 2023 unprecedented attack by Hamas militants on Israel which killed 1,200 and took 250 or so hostages, about 100 of whom are still believed to be alive in Gazan tunnels after many deaths and some releases.
    The Israeli retaliation, Hamas's health ministry says, has killed nearly 42,000 civilians including many women and children.
    Pro-Palestinian activists took to the Internet to protest against Rome police efforts to stop them joining the protest.
    "Be careful if you are taking the train", said one message, posted with a photo of a group of officers at the Tiburtina Railway Station.
    Similar shots and the same warning were posted on pictures of other stations and at the main transport hubs in the center of Rome.
    "The Rome police headquarters is preventing the buses from reaching the demonstration", said another message.
    Chants of "Free Palestine", "Criminal Israel" and "Now Intifada" rang out in Piazzale Ostiense where the protesters convened for the march.
    The area was heavily guarded and a helicopter was flying over the zone.
    Law enforcement officers, armored vehicles and water cannons were deployed at all entrances to the square where documents were asked of those who entered.
    Participants in the march said it had been banned to guarantee war and not peace and said they were not celebrating Hamas but commemorating the thousands of civilians killed in Gaza, calling the Italian state Fascist in allegedly stopping people attending.
    The marchers also protested against Israeli actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon amid fears of a major Israeli reprisal for an unprecedented Iranian missile launch in retaliation for the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
    "Despite the ban we took to the streets because we have a historical responsibility," said one of the representatives of the Palestinian Arab Democratic Union into a megaphone in Piazza Ostiense.
    "We ask for an end to the bombings. Italy must take a clear line.
    "There was a mystification of this march. They told us that it was a celebration of Hamas but we are here to commemorate our dead, the Palestinian dead.
    "The only ones who celebrate here in Italy are the friends of Israel and the Italian war industry.
    "The ban came not to guarantee peace but to guarantee war." Another young Palestinian activist said "ee could have been many more if this was not a police state, a fascist state".
    From the square came a chant against the forces of law and order: "shame".
    At the demonstration, in addition to the Palestinians, there were also demonstrators from small leftwing groups and parties including 'Osa' (Dare), 'Potere al Popolo' (Power to the People) and the USB grass-roots trade union.
    There were also the flags of the 'knowledge network' and the Italian Communists.