Anti-War Rally in Italy Draws 450,000

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 11, 2002

Anti-War Rally in Italy Draws 450,000

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

300,000 Turn out for Anti-war Rally in Italy

Hundreds of thousands of people marched through Florence Saturday in a protest against globalization and U.S. policy in Iraq, and despite the high turnout there was none of the violence that marred last year's Group of Eight summit in Genoa.

Instead the atmosphere was more like a carnival with food stands, exhibits and street theater along with the discussions of free trade and war.

Though security was tight, police kept a low profile. Italy was criticized as having provoked clashes in Genoa by insisting on a heavy police presence.

Police in Florence said about 450,000 people took part in the demonstration, the highlight of an anti-globalization gathering here that started Wednesday and ends Sunday. The figure was more than twice the number expected.

Organizer Vittorio Agnoletto estimated the crowd at 800,000 to 1 million.

Demonstrators came from across Europe � Greece, Spain, Britain, Denmark and elsewhere � to protest a war on Iraq and the corporate interests of multinationals which they say harm the poor and the environment.

"I was a bit afraid, because they were saying this would be a 'Genoa-Two' but it's been very peaceful and I hope it stays that way," said Uwe Schurmann a demonstrator from Germany.

The demonstration came a day after the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution which gives Iraq a last chance to disarm or face almost certain war.

Protesters said they were motivated by opposition to a war in Iraq and the influence of multinational corporations, which they see as harmful to the environment and the poor.

"We want to demonstrate that a different world is possible," said Noemi Cucchi, 31, from the Italian port city of Ancona.

Led by a banner reading "No War," the marchers walked peacefully through Florence as curious residents peered down from apartment windows.

The atmosphere was relaxed. Demonstrators � some dressed as clowns � ate as they walked or coasted along the route on inline skates, shouting "Hands off the Middle East" and "The real terrorist is the West."

"I really just wanted to be a part of this," said Justine Trillaud, a 16-year-old from Paris.

Marchers walked 4 miles along the Arno river to an area near the soccer stadium for a concert and speeches.

The center of the city, with its narrow alleys and Renaissance buildings, was closed to the demonstrators, and dozens of police stood guard to enforce the restriction.

As a precaution, many shops in the fashionable streets were shuttered. Authorities removed hundreds of trash bins from the city to prevent demonstrators from using the contents to start fires.

Premier Silvio Berlusconi's government approved the demonstration after weeks of debate and after adopting an intense security plan because of last year's violence.

The demonstration was seen as a major test for Italian police after the 2001 Group of Eight summit in Genoa, where one protester was shot dead by a Carabinieri paramilitary officer and hundreds were wounded during street clashes.

Images of wrecked banks, gas stations and stores in Genoa are still vivid for many Italians.

Source: agencies

Questions?Comments? Click here

Anti-war March Kicks off Anti-globalization Forum in Italy

>> Full Coverage

Chinese Dragon & American Eagle Must Find Language of Cooperation: Kissinger ( 3 Messages)

Joint Efforts Be Made to Eradicate Scourge to Humankind ( 2 Messages)

Upcoming Party Congress Likely to Discuss 'Xiaokang' ( 10 Messages)

China to Enroll 270,000 Graduate Students Next Year ( 2 Messages)

Kato's Criminal Activities "Irrefutable", FM Spokesman ( 2 Messages)