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

Breaking the Silence:
10-Day Vigil for Gaza

For 10 days, smack in the middle of Rome's shopping district, a 12-hour daily vigil was held calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Organized by several Italian and Palestinian groups, with the support of our group of U.S. citizens, the daily presence sought to break through the silence and indifference surrounding Israel's attack on Gaza.

And the silence was indeed broken, if for no other reason than the presence of Gianni Novelli's legendary Comiso-era mega-megaphone, which blasted out the voices of activists calling for a ceasefire, an end to the siege and protection for the civilian population.

Through rain and shine, we collected hundreds of signatures and handed out thousands of flyers. We had copies of ‘A Call from Within,' the letter signed by over 500 Israeli citizens who called “on the world to stop Israeli violence and not allow the continuation of the brutal occupation” and to “condemn and not become an accomplice in Israel's crimes.” The letter was delivered to embassies in Tel Aviv on January 5, 2009.

We also distributed the appeal from Pax Christi, which began with the words of the Catholic parish priest in Gaza, Father Manuel Musallam: “What is going on in Gaza is not a bombing, but a massacre. It is a war crime and, once again, no one utters these words.”

Women in Black brought a number of flyers, including a letter from women in Haifa which expressed their opposition to "the view that these attacks are defending us in any way," and instead see the attacks as "deepening of the bloodshed and war and as a threat to the hope for peace and quite in our area." Women in Black also brought banners, which attracted the attention of by passers, as did their beautiful maps illustrating the tragic loss of Palestinian land over the decades.

On one evening, a group of young people created scenes of war, with smoke bombs, leftover fireworks and recordings of combat blaring from a loudspeaker. 30 people then threw themselves down in the street, splattered with red paint. The performance stopped traffic – even on the sidewalks!

But for the most part, we simply talked with the tourists and shoppers on one of Rome's busiest streets. Conversations ranged from informing a group of university students from the U.S., who were completely unaware of what was happening, to heated yet civil discussions with Israelis on holiday in Italy.

Many stopped by to offer solidarity, but we also had our share of people contesting what we were doing and there were also a few tense moments. The negative comments and insults, however, were usually simply shouted out as people walked by, their positions limited to talking points.

The most common question was “Why aren't you condemning the rocket fire from Hamas?” And, of course, we were. But there was also a sign saying it is disingenuous to equate the rocket fire to the death and destruction taking place in Gaza, which will only serve to increase support for Hamas.

There has been much talk of equidistanza, or equidistance, in Italy, with regards to the assault on Gaza; in other words for the need of “balance” in any talk of Palestine and Israel. But as Giovanni Franzoni, who is also on a hunger strike for Gaza, said, “We shouldn't be distant at all! That's the problem. Enough with equidistance, we should be equi-involved!”

Stephanie Westbrook
Maria Chiara Starace

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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!"

Copyright © 2007 Stephanie Westbrook  All rights reserved.
U.S. Citizens for Peace & Justice - Rome, Italy