IN PICTURES: Italians protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Crowds of demonstrators took to the streets across Italy on Saturday to denounce Russia's assault on its neighbour.
Thousands of people marched in torchlit processions and peaceful protests in various Italian cities this weekend to join the chorus of condemnation and urge an end to the bloodshed.
More than 1,000 demonstrators answered the call of trade unions and NGOs in central Rome, huddling around a podium bearing the words "Against War" and flying rainbow flags of peace.
EXPLAINED: How Italy could be impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Crowds walked together bearing banners and messages of support for Ukraine to the Colosseum, one of the Italian capital's major landmarks, on Friday evening.
A young girl holds a rainbow flag in front of a banner reading "Stop the war on children" during a demonstration, called by associations Italian Peace and Disarmament Network, trade unions Cgil, Cisl, Uil and other organisations to protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at Piazza Santi Apostoli in central Rome, on February 26, 2022. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)
Putin was the march's main target as banners caricatured him as an assassin with bloodstained hands and compared him to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler with the words: "Can you recognise when history repeats itself?"
Protesters attend a demonstration in support of Ukraine in front of the Russia's embassy in Rome on February 24, 2022. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)
"We've always been close to the Ukrainian people," Maria Sergi, a 40-year-old Russian-born Italian, told AFP. "Our feeling of powerlessness is huge."
Thousands gathered in Rome this evening, walking in almost complete silence to the Colosseum, where they held a candlelit vigil in protest at Russia's attack on Ukraine.#italy #rome #colosseum #Ukraine #UkraineRussia #UkraineRussiaConflict pic.twitter.com/7BTEtca0Kl
— Gavin Gough Photographer 📸 (@gavingough) February 25, 2022
Thousands more gathered to rally in Milan, with protestors calling on international governments to put an end to Putin's actions.
Packed streets of Milan - the demonstration against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on February 26, 2022. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
A protester holds a placard during a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Milan, on February 26, 2022. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
While others showed their solidarity for Ukraine by waving the country's flag outside the northern city's cathedral.
A person waves the Ukrainian flag during a demonstration against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in the northern city of Milan, on February 26, 2022. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Moscow's invasion, which began on Thursday, has sparked global outcry and prompted punishing sanctions from the West, including some against Russian President Vladimir Putin himself.
Russia's ground forces invaded Ukraine from several directions, encircling the country within hours of Putin announcing his decision to launch an assault. Heavy Russian tanks and other equipment crossed the frontier in a string of northern regions as well as from the Kremlin-annexed peninsula of Crimea in the south.
They were also advancing into the Western-backed government's territory along the eastern front, where a separatist insurgency has claimed more than 14,000 lives since 2014.
Some cities in Italy gathered immediately in response, such as the thousands who walked through the streets of Bologna, in the north of Italy, to condemn Russia's attack. Demonstrations began on Thursday and have continued throughout the weekend.
Italy’s prime minister Mario Draghi spoke to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday to reiterate that “Italy fully supports and will continue to support the European Union’s line on sanctions against Russia,” the government confirmed in a statement.
Such sanctions include banning Russia from Swift, an international payments system that would hit Russia's trade hard.
Exclusion from Swift is one of the most disruptive sanctions the West has deployed against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis expressed his "deep pain for the tragic events" resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine during a call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kyiv's embassy to the Vatican said Saturday.
Francis made a rare intervention on Friday when he tweeted in several languages, including Russian, to denounce all war as a "shameful capitulation".
"Every war leaves our world worse than it was before. War is a failure of politics and of humanity," he said, quoting his encyclical on peace published in 2020.
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Thousands of people marched in torchlit processions and peaceful protests in various Italian cities this weekend to join the chorus of condemnation and urge an end to the bloodshed.
More than 1,000 demonstrators answered the call of trade unions and NGOs in central Rome, huddling around a podium bearing the words "Against War" and flying rainbow flags of peace.
EXPLAINED: How Italy could be impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Crowds walked together bearing banners and messages of support for Ukraine to the Colosseum, one of the Italian capital's major landmarks, on Friday evening.
Putin was the march's main target as banners caricatured him as an assassin with bloodstained hands and compared him to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler with the words: "Can you recognise when history repeats itself?"
"We've always been close to the Ukrainian people," Maria Sergi, a 40-year-old Russian-born Italian, told AFP. "Our feeling of powerlessness is huge."
Thousands gathered in Rome this evening, walking in almost complete silence to the Colosseum, where they held a candlelit vigil in protest at Russia's attack on Ukraine.#italy #rome #colosseum #Ukraine #UkraineRussia #UkraineRussiaConflict pic.twitter.com/7BTEtca0Kl
— Gavin Gough Photographer 📸 (@gavingough) February 25, 2022
Thousands more gathered to rally in Milan, with protestors calling on international governments to put an end to Putin's actions.
While others showed their solidarity for Ukraine by waving the country's flag outside the northern city's cathedral.
Francis made a rare intervention on Friday when he tweeted in several languages, including Russian, to denounce all war as a "shameful capitulation".
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