Rome's Jewish community to boycott annual Liberation Day march.

On 25 April Italy celebrates the 72nd Festa della Liberazione which marks the country’s liberation from German occupation and fascist rule at the end of world war two.

A public holiday across Italy, all state schools and offices are closed on Tuesday 25 April, as well as many shops. This year many businesses are also closed on Monday 24 April with Italians taking a ponte, or bridge, between the weekend and the holiday.

The 2017 edition of the annual march by supporters of Associazione Nazionale Partigiani d’Italia (ANPI) has become mired in controversy.

Ruth Dureghello, the president of the city's Jewish community, said her members would boycott the event over what she describes as ANPI's toleration of pro-Palestinian associations, saying that she believed ANPI denies the important role played by Roman Jews in the capital's liberation from nazi-fascism.

ANPI has condemned what it describes as an "ongoing shameful offensive" against its organisation, calling for "unity and massive participation."

In Rome the day is marked with a ceremony at the Altare della Patria, attended by Italian president Sergio Mattarella, at 09.00. At the same time, ANPI supporters will walk from Piazza Caduti della Montagnola, between the Tor Marancia and EUR districts, to Piazza di Porta S. Paolo, by the Piramide Cestia monument, resulting in numerous bus detours, road closures and parking bans along the route.

The liberation is also observed in other areas of the capital including Pigneto, which celebrates the 16th edition of the day-long festival Pigneto, Quartiere in Festa on 25 April.

Separately, at 14.00, the Gran premio ciclistico della Liberazione cycle race begins and ends at the Baths of Caracalla, causing several bus detours in the general Circus Maximus area.