There were intermittent violent clashes between protesters and police during an unauthorized pro-Palestinian demonstration in Rome on Saturday.
Several thousand people gathered in the center of the Italian capital, two days before the anniversary of the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Protesters wearing face coverings and dressed in black threw bottles, fireworks and traffic signs at security forces, who responded by using tear gas and water cannon.
According to authorities, the demonstration was not allowed by Italian authorities due to security reasons. They also feared that the timing of the protest would “glorify” the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stressed before the demonstration that security authorities in Italy were on high alert due to the possibility of terrorist attacks before the commemoration.
During a march near the Colosseum, demonstrators held up banners, waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Free Palestine” and “Free Lebanon.” On the sidelines of the demo, a participant also shouted into a megaphone: “On October 7, the revolution began.”
The area was heavily guarded and a helicopter flew over the zone.
On October 7, 2023, terrorists from the Palestinian militant organization Hamas and other extremist groups from Gaza launched a surprise attack on Israel. The attacks on land, sea and in the air have killed about 1,200 people and abducted about 240 to the Gaza Strip.
