Thousands rally in Rome, Italy for rival pro- and anti-migration marches
Thousands of police deployed to keep the rallies apart as far-right ‘remigration’ initiative gains traction. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets
Thousands of police deployed to keep the rallies apart as far-right ‘remigration’ initiative gains traction. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Italian capital for rival demonstrations over migration policy, as a far-right proposal seeking hardline migration measures is set to advance to discussion in parliament. An anti-migration march in Rom’s Prati neighbourhood on Saturday drew several thousand participants, while a competing pro-migration event in a separate part of the city attracted tens of thousands. Thousands of police were also deployed to ensure the two rival groups would remain apart. The demonstrations come after a petition advocating for sweeping measures targeting foreigners – including coercive returns to their countries of origin – gathered the 50,000 signatures needed to trigger parliamentary discussion.
Named “Remigration and Reconquest,” the petition has pushed the once-fringe concept of “remigration” – which in far-right contexts can mean the mass deportation of ethnic minorities – into the political mainstream. “We want to kick the illegal immigrants out – force them out, because they shouldn’t be here,” Luca Marsella, spokesman for the neofascist group Casapound, said at the anti-migrant rally Saturday. “And since we’re not politically correct, we’ll say we want to send the legal immigrants home, too – the ones who clearly haven’t assimilated or integrated.” On several occasions during the anti-migrant march, many participants raised their arms in a fascist salute, shouting “Duce!
Duce!,” in reference to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, reported The Associated Press. ‘Incompatible with Italian constitution’ The debate on migration represents a delicate balancing act for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition. While the anti-migration League party that is in her coalition backs opening discussion on the petition, Meloni’s Brothers of Italy and centrist allies have been more cautious about endorsing a proposal linked to extremist circles. Critics, including opposition parties and legal experts, argue the proposal would violate constitutional and international anti-discrimination principles by targeting people based on ethnic background, including naturalised citizens and their descendants. “The so-called remigration bill invokes a logic of exclusion based on ethnic and cultural background that is incompatible with the Italian constitution and the fundamental principles of the rule of law,” said left-wing politician Angelo Bonelli, according to Italy’s la Repubblica newspaper.
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