Joining a Rally in Rome, June 9, 2007

On June 9, 2007, after our walking tour around Rome, Fr. Felix Catala and I decided to check out a rally-demonstration. The different groups joining massed at the back of Maria Maggiore.

On this day, Pres. Bush came to visit Rome to visit the Pope and Italy's Prime Minister, after attending teh G-8 meeting in Germany. An estimated 300,000 people joined this rally.

It was a most interesting rally. Right after the carabineiri, there was a Superman figure who led the rallyists.

All kinds of people joined this rally, locals and tourists, young and old, trade unionists and Communists, students and professionals.

A few people painted themselves as a sign of protest even as red banners flew high and mighty.

The word is DISARMO, or dis-arm!

The gay movement's PEACE banner was all over the place.
Also cyclists.

The sign says it all: NO WAR IS EVER FAIR WHATEVER ITS REASONS.

stop

BU-SHIT,

a play on the

name of the

U.S. President.









Young women in colorful garb and make-up danced through the streets to the tune of rock.














A delegation from Cuba with their flag.

Felix and I had to return to the Redemptorist house at Via Merulana before we finished viewing all the rallyists. We were only able to see one-fourth of the crowd.

It was certainly a most impressive rally, like the one I saw in Washington before the end of the year 2006.