Rome rallies banned for "public security" reasons.

Rome police chiefs have banned two pro-Palestinian rallies from taking place on the streets of the Italian capital on Saturday 5 October, citing public security concerns.

The demonstrations were scheduled two days before the first anniversary of the surprise attack by Hamas gunmen who killed about 1,200 people in Israel on 7 October last year.

Security chiefs in Rome believe that the timing of the planned demonstrations risked the October 7 massacre being glorified in Italy's capital, according to state broadcaster RAI News.

The situation was discussed on Tuesday during a meeting of the national committee for public order and security, chaired by interior minister Matteo Piantedosi.

Earlier this year police chiefs in Rome and Milan, backed by Piantedosi, banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations from taking place on 27 January, Holocaust Remembrance Day, following calls from the Jewish community in Italy and from within the right-wing Italian government.

Image: Pro-Palestinian rally in Florence, 2 June 2024. Photo credit: Nominesine / Shutterstock.com.