A large crowd of demonstrators gathered in the center of Rome for the fourth consecutive day of protests in Italy, following Israel’s seizure of an international flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza and the detention of activists.
The march passed by the Colosseum, with protesters waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans. Organizers said they hoped turnout would reach at least one million participants.
“I’m here with many other friends because I think it’s important that we all mobilize personally,” said Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, according to the AP. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
The protests began immediately after Wednesday night’s blockade of the flotilla and have since spread across Europe. In Italy, unions declared a general strike on Friday in solidarity with the flotilla, with organizers claiming that more than two million people took to the streets in cities nationwide.
