Thousands of people protested against wars in the West Asia
Thousands of people protested against wars in the West Asia and judicial reforms proposed by Italy’s conservative Government - linking international tensions with a growing domestic political battle before a national referendum.
The March 22–23 referendum on changes to the judicial system has become a major political test for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Government, which faces an election next year. The debate over legal reforms has escalated into a broader confrontation between the prime minister and her political opponents. In central Rome, protesters waving red trade union banners and Palestinian and Cuban flags chanted “Meloni Government, resign” before the rally ended peacefully.
“The United States and Israel are destroying any form of coexistence dictated by international law,” demonstrator Sandra Paganini said. “They are dragging us towards a world war in which they are targeting completely innocent people who have done nothing wrong, intervening and destroying nations,” she said.
Meloni said that the reforms are needed to tackle chronic delays in Italy’s courts and restore public confidence in the legal system. But opponents argue that the changes could weaken judicial independence and make judges subject to political influence. The referendum has increasingly taken on the character of a political test for the prime minister.
