Thousands of people demonstrated in cities throughout Italy late Monday against the US-led military strikes on Afghanistan, following an appeal by communist and anti-globalization organizations.
Around 1,000 turned out in Rome's Piazza della Repubblica where marchers were led by the leader of the Refounded Communist Party, Fausto Bertinotti. He was joined at the front of the march by members of the Green party.
The demonstrators brandished banners with the slogan "No to Terrorism and No to War," written in Italian, Arabic and Kurdish.
"The terrorists must be hit hard and in a targeted way, but war will achieve exactly the contrary," Bertinotti said.
Around 2,000 people turned out to protest the strikes in Naples, which hosts the headquarters of NATO's southern command. Anti-globalization protesters burned a US flag during a smaller demonstration against the air strikes on Sunday evening.
In Sicily, around 1,000 people marched from the center of Palermo to stage a sit-down protest outside the US Consulate -- ROME (AFP)
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