Tens of thousands protest in Italy to condemn violence against women

Thousands of people have taken part in protests across Italy, calling for an end to violence against women after the violent murder of a young student earlier this month.

Large crowds gathered in the capital Rome, Milan and Naples on Saturday to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Demonstrators wearing purple headscarves chanted “we want to live, Patriarchy is enough” in protest against the widespread violence and killing of women in their country.

Protesters also chanted “end violence against women” and “do not be silent in the face of this violence,” demanding stricter laws to stand against femicide (murder of a woman because of her gender) and physical and sexual violence against women in Italy.

In a statement marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Italy's President, Sergio Mattarella, said “Dramatic news stories have shaken the country's conscience.”

“A human society that aspires to be civilized cannot accept, cannot endure, this string of attacks on women and murders,” he said, adding that violence against women was a failure of society.

Pope Francis in a post on X (formerly twitter) on Saturday called for action to prevent gender-based violence and said, “Violence against women is a poisonous weed that plagues our society and must be pulled up from its roots.”

European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, also speaking on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women said, “We need proper protection frameworks. We need more convictions of those who prey on females. And we need to end the remaining institutional blindness to this epidemic upon women. There are no more excuses. It is already too late.”

ME