Tens of Thousands March in Italy for Peace in Gaza and Ukraine

According to SAEDNEWS, On Saturday, October 26, 2024, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Italy to demand peace in both Gaza and Ukraine. The demonstrations were held in major cities, highlighting widespread concern over the ongoing conflicts and the heavy toll on civilians.

In Rome, around 10,000 protesters gathered in the city center, proudly waving a giant peace flag in front of the historic Colosseum. The event was organized by the Italian Disarmament Network, the CGIL labour union, and a coalition of opposition centre-left parties, alongside the war doctors charity Emergency and various peace advocacy groups.

Maurizio Landing, the leader of the CGIL union, expressed a key demand from the protesters, saying, "Our strongest request is a cease-fire to let governments open a real peace conference, because the new world’s balance can’t be decided by wars." This sentiment was echoed by many attendees who are deeply troubled by the high number of civilian casualties in both conflicts.

The peaceful rallies extended beyond Rome, with additional events held in Turin, Milan, Florence, Bari, Palermo, and Cagliari. Hundreds of organizations came together to support the call for peace, urging both the Italian government and the international community to reinvigorate a peace conference led by the United Nations.

These marches come at a time of increasing violence in the Middle East, as Israel conducted overnight attacks against Iran. The demonstrators called for urgent action towards resolving the ongoing strife and promoting peaceful solutions.

The commitment to peace and calls for action were clear as Italy stood united in its message for a more peaceful world.