19.03.2022, Pisa.
Members of the large Italian trade union USB held a manifestation against sending military cargo to Ukraine, as well as against Italy’s participation in NATO missions, near the airports of Pisa and Rome, Cinzia Della Porta, a representative of the Pisa branch of USB, said on March 19, RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Earlier, union representatives working in the cargo terminal of Pisa airport discovered boxes of weapons and ammunition that were headed to Ukraine under the guise of humanitarian cargo and refused to reload them.
“First, we protest against the shipment of military material itself, against Italy’s involvement in the war in Ukraine. Second, we oppose the involvement of civilian employees in the loading of weapons. I don’t think the authorities are unaware that this air traffic of civilian planes is now being used to transport military supplies,” said Cinzia Della Porta.
The protesters made demands “Bridges of peace, not war from Tuscana”, “Italy – out of NATO and war”.
In Rome, the protest rally took place in an area near a military airfield. Protesters demanded not only non-participation of Italy in the conflict in Ukraine, but also the withdrawal of military bases from the city limits of Rome.
In addition to members of the USB union, leftist and anti-fascist organizations took part in the rally. All in all, the rally drew several hundred people.
“Sending our military supplies and our troops into the conflict zone will only increase poverty in our people’s neighborhoods. The Italian people reject the war, we say so to the government, which allocates funds from the budget for it,” said one of the speakers at the rally.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of a special military operation in Ukraine after the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics appealed for help. Putin stressed that Russia’s plans did not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories.
After the start of the special operation, the United States, the EU, the United Kingdom, and a number of other states imposed sanctions against Russian companies, legal entities, and individuals. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov stressed that the Western sanctions were very serious, but that Russia had prepared for them well in advance.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
