U.S. Citizens for Peace & Justice - Rome Italy anti-war demonstration in Rome

Past Events


Solidarity with Bradley Manning
December 17, 2011

No to "war as usual"
March 19, 2010

Winter Soldier Europe
March 14, 2009

Palestinian Flags Flutter
Alongside Peace Banners

January 17, 2009

Close Guantanamo Now!
January 17, 1009

10-Day Vigil for Gaza
January 8-18, 2009

Supporting La'Onf
October 29, 2008

Free the Cuban 5
Sept 13, 2008

Cheney in Chains
Sept 8, 2008

No Bush, No War
June 11, 2008

May Day ILWU Solidarity Action
May 1, 2008

War Tax Day
April 15, 2008

World Social Forum Global Day of Action
Jan 26, 2008

Shut Down Guantánamo Now!
Jan 11, 2008

No U.S. Military Base in Vicenza
Dec 15, 2007

Meeting Iranian Artists
Dec 05, 2007

End the War in Iraq, No War on Iran
Oct 27, 2007

Report on Final Days of No Dal Molin Festival in Vicenza, Italy
Sept 16, 2007

Camping for Peace in Vicenza, Italy
Sept 12, 2007

Impeach Them Both +
Judiciary Fax Blast

July 23, 2007

I-M-P-E-A-C-H !
April 28, 2007

4th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq
March 20, 2007

No Dal Molin, Vicenza, Italy
Feb 17, 2007

Congress: Act Now to End the War
Jan 27, 2007

No Military Bases, Vicenza, Italy
Dec 2, 2006

No War, No Cluster Bombs
Sept 23, 2006

Protest Calling for Cease-fire in Lebanon
July 26, 2006

Military Spending
Bean Poll

July 18, 2006

Stop the Escalation
in the Middle East

July 17, 2006

Refusing to Kill
July 06, 2006

Shailja Patel:
Poetry in Times
of War

July 05, 2006

Troops Home Fast
July 04, 2006

Italian Vote on
Military Missions

June 27, 2006

Peace Parade
June 02, 2006

Michael Uhl of
Veterans for Peace

April 29, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Hidden in Plain Sight

April 26, 2006

War Tax Day
April 15, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Hotel Palestine: Killing the Witness

April 12, 2006

National Anti-war Protest in Rome
March 18, 2006

Soldiers Against War
March 18, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Aristide and the Endless Revolution

March 15, 2006

Women (and men!) Say No To War
March 8, 2006

An Eyewitness Account of Post Katrina New Orleans
March 2, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Life and Debt

February 09, 2006

Vote to Renew Italian Mission in Iraq
February 09, 2006

Cindy Sheehan
February 06, 2006

NBC Today
Show Blitz

February 06, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
The Revolution Will
Not Be Televised

January 26, 2006

Cindy Sheehan
In Rome

January 18, 2006

Crimes & Lies:
with Dave Lindorff
and Maurizio Torrealta

January 13, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Peace Propaganda and
the Promised Land

January 12, 2006

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
The Oil Factor

December 15, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Plan Colombia

December 01, 2005

Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre
November 30, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Wal-Mart

November 17, 2005

Protest at U.S. Embassy: White Phosphorus in Fallujah
November 14, 2005

Control Arms Petition
at Piazza Chiesa Nuova

November 12, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Invisible Ballots

November 10, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
The Corporation

October 27, 2005

Movie Night:
Viva Zapatero

October 25, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Hidden Wars of
Desert Storm

October 13, 2005

Anti-war rally
at U.S. Embassy

Sept 24, 2005

USC4P&J Social
at the Beehive

June 22, 2005

Die-In with
Articolo 11
at Palazzo Chigi

June 21, 2005

Collecting Photos
with Control Arms

June 18, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Unconstitutional

June 16, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Outfoxed

June 09, 2005

Eyes Wide Open
Film Series
Weapons of
Mass Deception

May 19, 2005

Vigil at Palazzo Chigi with Articolo 11
May 05, 2005

Vigil at Palazzo Chigi with Articolo 11
April 28, 2005

Vigil at Palazzo Chigi with Articolo 11
April 21, 2005

International Day of Protest
March 19, 2005

June 2 Peace Parade

An alternative to the military parade for the Festa della Repubblica

On June 2, 2006, the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Republic, U.S. Citizens for Peace and Justice joined Italian peace activists for the Peace Parade, an alternative to the traditional military parade held on the occasion of the Festa della Repubblica. [see original appeal]

As troops and military vehicles marched along via dei Fori Imperiali near the Colosseum, hundreds of activists "armed" with peace flags, signs, flyers and banners occupied Ponte Sant'Angelo.

A huge peace flag was hung from the bridge. Donne in nero (Women in Black) set up their workshop making colorful "cappelli di pace" (peace hats) which they then modeled for us all during the parade. We hung our posters on the bridge, Iraq in Numbers [versione italiana], Afghanistan in Numbers [versione italiana] and the ever-popular Impeach Bush. Photographers swarmed around. We also had our signs; the most popular being "Italy: Don't Support Bush's War."

An open mic was offered to peace activists, including our own Giuliana, and the few politicians with enough courage to be there with us. And with air raid sirens blaring, a die-in was staged.

Jessica, a student who had lived in Rome and was back for the summer found us and asked to join our ranks. We quickly put a sign in her hand. She was later interviewed on the regional news.

The Peace Parade then got underway as we marched off along the Tiber River. A young girl asked her father, "What flag is that?" referring to our U.S. peace flag. He explained that it was the U.S. flag but it had been "modified." I clarified that it had instead been "improved upon!"

A man from the U.S. who was visiting Italy stopped us and asked to take our photo. We noticed he was wearing a t-shirt with photos of Rice, Rumsfeld, Bush and Cheney in a circle with a slash through it and below a caption of "mi dispiace" (I'm sorry), so we asked to take his photo as well.

The march continued to Ponte Garibaldi where the huge peace flag was again dropped from the bridge, and then proceeded on to Largo Argentina, the end of the line. Here we met two tourists from South Carolina who just happened by. We gave them signs and they joined us for the rest of the demonstration.

Another man came up to me and said he wanted to thank us for our efforts. He also said, "I hope my country is not next." He was, of course, Iranian. We shared thoughts on U.S. foreign policy and he expressed his love of the United States, as most of his family is living there, but also his very real fear of an imminent attack.

The microphone was again offered to activists and politicians, including Lidia Menapace, former senator and icon of the peace movement, Piero Bernocchi of Cobas, Fabio Alberti of Un ponte per... and Alfio Nicotra of Rifondazione Comunista.

Two young women then took the mic saying, "We know what you're thinking. 'What do these young kids have to say?' Well we want to tell you that as young people we are here with you today and we also want to thank you for inspiring us." The final speaker was a former soldier who rallied the crowd with "Bring them home now – and alive!"

It was not a huge march, 1000 people according to the newspapers. It was, after all, a Friday of a long weekend. And we also have to recognize that the military parade was a big draw. But it was an important opportunity to speak out against the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the continued militarization of our culture represented by the military parade.

As U.S. Citizens our presence was noticed and appreciated. A number of photos of us are on the La Repubblica newspaper web site and many shots of us were on both the regional and national news (RAI Tre) as well as a shot of us on TG1. We handed out hundreds of flyers [versione italiana]. We met and talked to a number of tourists. We made our voices heard.

Special thanks to everyone who participated in person and in spirit.

Next stop: Palazzo Chigi at the end of June as Italian Parliament votes to refinance the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ci vediamo in piazza! (See you in the streets!)

Stephanie Westbrook

Flyers and Posters

Iraq in Numbers

Iraq in numeri

Afghanistan in Numbers

Afghanistan in numeri

Cost of War

Costo della guerra

Ongoing/Future Events


Our Eyes Wide Open Film Series is suspended; for further information click here.


Upshot of our Nov. 9th group discussion on current politics:

It wasn't the Russians that got us Trump. Or Comey. Or even the massive GOP election fraud. It was the DNC.*
*Dem National Committee

To learn how to stop the DNC from delivering us another Trump, read Autopsy: the Democratic Party in Crisis.


Photo of a school in Yemen bombed by Saudi Arabian jets supplied by the U.S. and fueled in the air by the U.S. Air Force. Tell Trump to STOP THIS CARNAGE, not fuel it! Click here.

Also participate in the CodePink email and/or phone initiative:




Click here to sign a petition, to put an end to the sanctions against Syria - their only effect is to take a terrible toll on the population, causing them to migrate! And click here to see the video by the Italian Committee to lift sanctions against Syria.



Iraq Deaths Estimator
Did someone tell you that U.S. military intervention in Iraq was over? Not true: we're at it again. This time the pretext to drop bombs is "curbing ISIS" (which was created by the U.S. in the first place, to overturn al-Malaki in Iraq and then Assad in Syria, and is now out of hand. Like what happened to "our" creature al Qaeda in Afghanistan). And the death toll continues to rise...
Write your senators and tell them: "Enough! U.S. out!! Iraq has shown it can curb ISIS by itself!"

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Copyright © 2006 Stephanie Westbrook  All rights reserved
U.S. Citizens for Peace & Justice - Rome, Italy