About 20,000 people took part in a demonstration in Rome against the war in Iran and against the policy of the Italian government, local media reported, quoted by APA.
Posters with photos of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Justice Minister Carlo Nordio were burned during the protest.
The demonstration, organized at the initiative of left-wing parties and movements, was held under slogans against the “government restricting freedoms and the war“. Smoke bombs were also thrown during the march.
Police said they had identified the demonstrators who burned the effigy of the two politicians.
The protest was also directed against the government's planned judicial reform, on which Italian voters will vote in a referendum on March 22 and 23.
Judicial reform is a key element of Meloni's program.
Judicial reform is among the main points in the political program of Meloni's right-wing coalition, which has governed Italy since October 2022.
The planned changes envisage restructuring the judicial system, with the careers of prosecutors being separated from those of judges, so that in the future there will be no possibility of switching between the two functions. It is also planned to separate the self-governing bodies of the judiciary – separate for judges and prosecutors.
According to the government, the reform aims for greater transparency, independence and a clear distinction between roles in criminal proceedings. The authorities argue for the change with the need to avoid conflicts of interest and too close a relationship between judges and prosecutors.
However, the reform is facing strong resistance from the National Association of Magistrates (ANM) - the main union of judges and prosecutors in Italy. The organization warns that the separation could weaken the independence of the judiciary and place the prosecutor's office under greater control of the executive branch.
The association has set up a committee to campaign nationwide to urge voters to vote "no" in the referendum. Opposition parties have also criticized the planned changes.