Thousands March For Peace in Palestine

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday May 14, 2002 13:22 by Henry Silke - Socialist Party - Lotta per il Socialismo

Report from Perugia-Assisi 12-5-2002

Between seventy and one hundred thousand protest against the war in the middle east. Marching 25km between Perugia and Assisi.

Tens of thousands took part in the special Palestinian Perugia Assisi march in Italy. The march is a traditional catholic peace march which was radicalised last year when between 300,000 and 500,000 (depending on which paper you read) marched against the Afghan war.

Although usually an annual event a special protest was organised to protest against the continuing war in Palestine. The march itself is 25km long! (imagine asking Dubliners to get up a 5 in the morning travel in a bus through traffic jams and then walk 25km!)

Probably between 70,000 and 100,000 took part.
Delegations were there from all sides of political opinion from religious to pacifist to communist. All the major unions were present. The main slogan on the march was "Two peoples, Two States". This is the position of all three major unions CGIL/CISL/UIL and the position of the rifondazione communista.

It was a little different to normal as it wasn't simply a palestinian love fest thousands of israeli flags were also present. And even while Belusconi/Bossi and Fini were closing the doors to the palestinians the Italian people were again expressing the long felt solidarity with the their struggle.

The slogans however don't go far enough and there is still no critisism of the palestinian leadership or methods of struggle, including the counterproductive tactic of suicide bombing.

And the RC while calling for two states did not mention socialism, which is the only way to prevent a palestinian homeland becoming a new south african township a easily controlled supply of cheap labour for the israeli and palestinian ruling class.