Trumpet in one hand and Palestinian flag in the other. This is how Sardinian musician Paolo Fresu opened the pro-Palestine demonstration, giving voice – with his notes – to a choral request for peace. Thousands of people marched today in Rome from Piazza Vittorio to Piazza San Giovanni, to ask for an immediate ceasefire and denounce the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. At the head of the procession, behind the banner “Gaza, stop the massacre. Enough complicity”, were the leaders of the PD, M5S and the Green-Side Alliance: Elly Schlein, Giuseppe Conte, Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni.
"This march should have been done days ago, but here we are," said Cecilia Strada , MEP of the Democratic Party and daughter of Gino Strada, from the stage. " We lack political unity and the will to stop the weapons. We miss my father, we all miss him ."
Also heartfelt was the speech by Yousef Salman, coordinator of the Italian Palestinian Communities: "Thanks to democratic Italy that is in the square today. No to genocide, yes to an immediate ceasefire, to the end of the Israeli occupation and to the recognition of the State of Palestine. Just peace is possible, in compliance with international law".
From the stage there were alternate calls for an end to hostilities, denunciations of the situation in Gaza and requests addressed to the Italian government: stop military cooperation with Israel, guarantee the entry of humanitarian aid and support the recognition of Palestine as a State.
(Unioneonline/vf)
