A rally for the liberation of Palestine was held in Rome’s Piazza Ostiense on Oct 5th. More than 100 organizations and more than 5,000 people gathered despite the ban on the rally by the Roman authorities. The World Anti-imperialist Platform also participated in the rally.
The rally was held on, the one-year anniversary of Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”, on October 7, 2023, which was launched by the Palestinian anti-Zionist anti-imperialist force Hamas to end the 75-year oppression of Palestinians by Zionist Israel.
On that day, the Gaza Health Authority said the number of people killed by Israel was around 42,000.
The rally participants chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine,” “Free Lebanon,” “Criminal Israel,” and “Intifada now!“
Police headquarters of Rome mobilized buses to block the gathering of pro-Palestinian supporters, and a helicopter was used to monitor the movement of protesters. Armored personnel carriers and water cannons were deployed at the entrance to the square, and security forces demanded identification from those entering the square.
One of the representatives of the Palestinian Arab Democratic Union said, “We ask for an end to the bombings. Italy must take a clear line.“, “The only ones who celebrate here in Italy are the friends of Israel and the Italian war industry.” Marchers said in interviews “(There) could have been many more if this was not a police state, a fascist state.”
The rally was attended by the Italian party CARC Party (Committees to Support the Resistance for Communism), the Italian progressive organizations Popular Resistance and Power to the People, the Italian trade unions SICOBAS (Inter-sectoral self-organized workers’ union) and USB (Unione Sindacale di Base), and the World Anti-imperialist Platform.
As the protesters continued their march, police violently dispersed them with tear gas and water cannons. The place was filled with the sound of firing tear gas that resembled gunshots, and the police continued to violently disperse the rally even though many participants complained of pain.
Meanwhile, Italian public security authorities imposed “major security measures” in Rome. As a result of the measures, more than 1,600 rally participants were investigated. Nineteen of them were taken to police stations to locate their residences before public security authorities issue an order to deport them from the Italian capital.
