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Tens of thousands rally in Rome

An Italian demonstrator takes part in a rally called for by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party in support of the US-led war in Afghanistan on the Piazza del Popolo in Rome. PHOTO: AFP

Tens of thousands of people poured into Rome's center Saturday for two rival demonstrations -- one a pro-US rally by Premier Silvio Berlusconi's conservatives, the other a march by communists and antiwar advocates. Bracing for any possible terrorism, authorities banned flights over the capital and sealed off subway stations and streets.

Waving communist flags and anti-NATO banners and shouting "niente guerra" (no war), tens of thousands of opponents of the US-led military strikes against Afghanistan marched in a protest setting off from near Rome's central Termini train station.

A police helicopter hovered above the marchers, but few police were near the march route and no police intervened when some marchers broke away to spray-paint antiwar slogans on banks along the route and hurl balloons filled with paint at a school.

Anti-terrorist police detained a total of 11 people before or during the march, the Italian news agency ANSA said. Five of them were stopped near the pro-American rally, while six youths who had iron chains and marbles were stopped near the marchers, it said.

At one point in the march, demonstrators stomped on a US flag in the street. An elderly woman on the sidelines swept it up in her hands and kissed it before the flag was handed back to marchers, who then threw it back on the ground.

Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Let's Go Italy) party orchestrated the pep rally in vast Piazza del Popolo to show solidarity toward the US as well as underline Italy's official support for the Afghanistan military campaign. Italy has pledged troops, ships and fighter jets, although no Italian military contingent has left for the front.

Many in the crowd of close to 100,000 waved American flags, as well as flags of Italy and the EU as the rally began with an orchestra playing the US national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.

``We're here today to say we're all citizens of New York,'' Berlusconi told the crowd, saying ``we owe it to the American people'' to have this rally.

Andrea Bocelli sang Ave Maria, and among those delivering recorded video messages was actress Sophia Loren, who said it was "our duty" to recall the victims and the attacks. "There are events whose ferocity go beyond the borders of the human mind," said the Italian-born Loren, who has a home in California.

The pep rally was a sea of flags -- US, Italian and Forza Italia banners.

"All the flags were sold out in two hours," said Mary Marangi, a vendor on the edge of the square who had stocked up on several thousand flags.

Among those invited to address the pep rally were eight New York City firefighters.

The US has received the Italian solidarity like "the embrace of an old friend"' said Daniel A. Nigro, the department's new chief.

"From all New York firefighters, from all New Yorkers, from all Americans, thank you, Rome, and thank you Italia," he added, his speech interrupted by shouts of "USA."

With images of bloody rioting that devastated Genoa during an international summit in July and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in America still fresh, security officials had prepared for the worst.

Low-flying flights were banned over the capital during the rallies, and subway stations near the gathering sites were shut down, including one near the Spanish Steps, a popular tourist stop.

Hundreds of anti-riot police were moved into the city, and plainclothes officers were assigned to mingle with the crowds.

The pastor of Santa Maria del Popolo, a church on the square, removed for safekeeping two paintings by Caravaggio, RAI state TV reported.

Rome was plastered with posters showing the stars and stripes flying next to Italy's red-white-and-green banner and the slogan: "Against Terrorism."

"We're here to show solidarity with the United States and condemn terrorism," said Moreno Belli, 55, who made the two-hour trip from Tuscany to attend the pro-America rally. Added his son, Massimiliano, 32: "And also to make this demonstration bigger than the other one."

The antiwar march, which was organized as an antiglobalization protests weeks before the air strikes began, ended peacefully after several hours near the Circus Maximus, an ancient field. More than 50,000 youths stayed on for a rock concert.
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