Demonstrations against the rearmament of Europe and in support of fairer social policies were held in the center of the Italian capital Rome. Organizers were representatives of the opposition party "5 Star Movement", who distanced themselves from the Democratic Party action that took place two weeks ago.
According to the organizers, at least 80 thousand people participated in the march. The campaign "No to rearmament. Let's stop them!" supported trade unions and associations fighting for civil rights. The speeches contained condemnation of the Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni, and the European Commission. The message „stop them“ refers to the European ruling class and aims to ensure respect for the rights to health and education.
The “5 Star” movement calls for national and European funds to be spent primarily on these goals. It voted in the European Parliament against the 800 billion euro rearmament plan drawn up by EC President Ursula von der Leyen, which envisages EU countries borrowing up to 150 billion euros for defense. At the national level, the party opposes the continuation of arms supplies to Kiev, calling for a negotiation process and diplomacy.
The opposition in Italy does not have a unanimous opinion on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. Few in the Democratic Party do not support military aid to Kiev. The “Europe+” party, which was part of the pre-election coalition with the Democrats, accuses “5 Star” of supporting Russia. The movement's leader, Giuseppe Conte, has long spoken of the need for a ceasefire and participation in the negotiation process with Moscow.