A piazza packed, colored by flags of peace, banners against war, banners of the parties and choirs that invoke “free Palestine”. The national event for Gaza, organized by PD, M5S and AVS, filled Piazza San Giovanni in Rome on Saturday 8 June, at the end of a procession started from Piazza Vittorio.
An initiative born to ask The end of the bombings on Gazalo stop the complicity of western governmentsand the recognition of the Palestinian state. The appointment, preceded by strong political tensions and internal and external criticisms of the progressive front, has seen the presence of thousands of demonstrators and numerous politicians, including Giuseppe Conte, Elly Schlein, Nichi Vendola, Roberto Fico, Massimo D’Alema And Leoluca Orlando.
“The square of humanity and solidarity”
“We are 300 thousand,” the organizers say. From the stage set up in Piazza San Giovanni, the journalist Valentina Petrini He moderated the interventions, opening the event with clear words: «The only ethical duty of us journalists is to be on the side of the weak. It is ridiculous to continue to divide us on words: it is genocide, it is ethnic cleaning ». With a clear reference to Giorgia Meloni, he added: “I am a woman, a mother, a Italian, but above all a human”.
Words shared by Elly Schleinsecretary of the Democratic Party, who underlined: «It is a very unitary and inclusive square. There is a very strong request that comes from below and today the political forces take responsibility for it. It is a huge response of participation to say enough of the Palestinian massacre and the crimes of the Netanyahu government. This is the Italy we want ».
Flags mixed for a just cause
Also the president of the M5S Giuseppe Conte He remarked the importance of unity between the progressive forces: “We like to mix the flags for a just cause. It has already happened in the past, for the minimum salary or for other common objectives. Here we are united against the ongoing massacre and to give strength to our political voice ».
Conte then defended the event from the accusations of anti -Semitism, reiterating: «We do not want to be a partner of a genocide. Those who say that protesting for Gaza is anti -Semitism uses a rhetorical expedient ». On the same line too Nicola Fratoianni by Avs: “Mobilizing for Gaza is not anti -Semitism, it is an infamous accusation”.
The voices of the associations
Among the testimonies, also those of Palestinians and Israelis critical of the Netanyahu government. On stage they alternated associations, militants, pacifists and representatives of civil society. In the crowd, signs and slogans that paraphrase famous statements: “I am a father, I am a Christian, I am grandfather, I am not murderer”, in reference to the words of Prime Minister Meloni.
The climate, albeit peaceful, has not been devoid of controversy. THE’Union of Italian Jewish Communities He expressed concern about what he considers “a partial and unilateral choice”, asking “to always show both flags”. The positions of the Movement of Palestinian studentswho distanced himself from the event calling it “late and instrumental”.
A transversal event
Among those present also Nicola Zingaretti, Stefano Bonaccini, Gaetano Manfredi, Francesco Boccia, Paola Taverna, Marco Grimaldi, Riccardo Ricciardi. All united by the desire to attract attention to a tragedy that, according to the organizers, can no longer be ignored.
“Today – said Conte – there is a square asks for justice, who does not accept silence, who does not want to be an accomplice”. A square that, on the day in which Rome stopped between road closures and traffic deviations, wanted to scream its “enough” to the war.
