Anti-war protests in Italy and Spain are becoming a large-scale referendum on Italian judges

Rome — Thousands protested on Saturday against wars in the Middle East and judicial reforms proposed by Italy’s conservative government – linking international tensions with a growing domestic political battle ahead of a national referendum.

A March 22-23 referendum on changes to the judiciary is a key political test for Prime Minister Georgia Maloney’s government, which faces an election next year. The debate over legal reforms has escalated into a broader confrontation between the prime minister and his political opponents.

In central Rome, protesters waved red trade union banners and waved Palestinian and Cuban flags, chanting “Melloni government, resign” before the rally ended peacefully.

“The United States and Israel are destroying any form of coexistence dictated by international law,” said exhibitor Sandra Paganini.

“They are dragging us towards a world war in which they are targeting completely innocent people who have done no wrong, intervening and destroying nations,” he said.

Reforms are needed to tackle long delays in Italy’s courts and restore public confidence in the legal system, Meloni said. But opponents argue that these changes could undermine judicial independence and expose judges to political influence.

The referendum has increasingly taken on the role of a political test for the Prime Minister. Meloni joined the campaign directly this week.

“If justice doesn’t work, if it’s slow, if it’s inefficient, if it’s unfair, the whole machine gets stuck and everyone pays the consequences,” Meloni said in a campaign speech in Milan on Thursday.

Anti-war protests have escalated since large-scale US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran targeting military sites and senior leaders began on February 28 and have triggered retaliatory strikes that have rattled global markets.

Demonstrations took place across Spain on Saturday, where rallies were organized in dozens of cities by a coalition of civil groups calling for an end to the conflict in the Middle East. In Madrid, thousands chanted slogans against the war and expressed solidarity with civilians affected by the conflict.

Additional protests took place in Athens and other cities in Greece earlier this week.

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Derek Gatopoulos reports from Athens, Greece.