Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marchedthrough Florence to oppose a war on Iraq in what could prove to bethe world's biggest street protest yet against US sabre-rattlingtoward Baghdad.
Between 400,000 and one million people --according to respective police and organizers' estimates -- bravedthe cold to march through this heavily policed Renaissance city, butthe mood remained festive with no reported incidents.
Organizers had promised a peaceful rally againstwar and globalization, but officials and locals feared it could turninto a violent repeat of last year's G-8 summit riots inGenoa.
Many downtown shops were closed, some boarded up,and more than 4,000 police were deployed to protect the town'streasures and monuments -- including Michelangelo's famous sculptureDavid -- many dating back to the Renaissance.
The rally was billed as the climax of the EuropeanSocial Forum, a five-day gathering of the anti-globalization movementthat drew 50,000 people, more than twice originalestimates.
But with events on Iraq moving quickly, the wartheme took precedence.
The protest came a day after the UN SecurityCouncil passed by unanimity a US-proposed resolution which requiredIraqi leader Saddam Hussein to abolish Iraq's alleged weapons of massdestruction.
Demonstrators leading the march carried bannersproclaiming "No to War" as the huge rally wove along athree-kilometer (1.8 mile) stretch that skirted Florence's historiccenter and ended up at the city's football stadium.
Many demonstrators, like many commentators in theItalian press, deplored the UN resolution as a vehicle opening theway for what they called a "pre-emptive war" on Iraq.
Organizers had expected 300,000, but even theinitial conservative estimates of turnout surpassed this.
In late September, protests against the Bushadministration's stance on Iraq were staged in Washington and otherworld capitals but the largest of these -- in London and Rome -- onlydrew about 100,000 people each.
The huge turnout on Saturday forced authorities toadd trains as demonstrators -- mostly Italians -- poured intoFlorence's central station to take part in the rally.
The anti-globalists were joined by many othergroups, including union activists, pacifists, Catholics, formercommunists, ecologists, and Fiat car workers. Many young people werepresent.
There was a huge showing by Italy's largest tradeunion, the CGIL, which was charged with the delicate task ofmaintaining order at the march and were seen along the routeshepherding stray marchers back into the fray.
The head of the EU executive, the EuropeanCommission, Italian Romano Prodi, said he would watch what happens inFlorence.
"The young people must be heard, which does notmean their opinions must always be shared," he said at a congress inthe northern city of Bologna. "But in this time of change, the voiceof youth is of major importance."
The worldwide, growing anti-globalization movementargues that governments and international institutions like theInternational Monetary Fund put the interests of big companies aheadof those of ordinary people.
November 10, 2002
Copyright 2002 Singapore News