Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks with the media during an EU Summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

ROME (AP) — Tens of thousands of Italians joined a pro-Europe rally in Rome's city center Saturday, waving blue European Union flags in a sign of support and unity as a European push for rearmament divides the country.

The initiative, supported by most of the center-left opposition parties, despite their different positions, was launched by Italian journalist Michele Serra at the end of February, with an editorial in the Italian daily La Repubblica titled: “Let’s say something European.”

“I wanted to organize a large demonstration of citizens supporting Europe, its unity and its freedom, with no party flags, only European flags,” Serra said, launching the slogan: “Here we make Europe, or we die.”

The initiative was born in response to U.S. President Donald Trump ’s destabilizing policies, which created an unprecedented rift between Europe and the U.S., strained over the war in Ukraine and an ongoing tariff battle.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has reluctantly backed an EU plan to rearm Europe over concerns that the proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen might weigh on Italy’s giant debt, diverting much-needed funds to weapons spending.

The EU plan aims to generate around 800 billion euros over the next four years, the bulk of which will come from member states increasing their national spending on defense and security.

Internally, Meloni openly criticized the project, rejecting the term “rearm” as misleading and encouraged European partners to focus instead on common defense and security.

Organizers said Saturday that the pro-Europe rally, which filled Rome’s central Piazza del Popolo with at least 30,000 people, reunited Italians on different sides and voting for opposite parties “in the name of democracy.”

“We are here to defend freedom and democracy," said Daniela Condotto, one of the demonstrators. “These are concepts that we got used to over 80 years, but in reality they need to be defended, we cannot take them as a given.”

Right-wing government parties snubbed the demonstration, standing behind Meloni, who has been struggling in her attempt to play a mediating role between Trump and the EU.

“There must be support for Europe, but with concrete reforms, not symbolic events,” said Antonio Tajani, foreign minister and vice premier ahead of Saturday’s rally.

Vice Premier Matteo Salvini, leader of the eurosceptic League's party, was openly critical. “While some people demonstrate with flags, we work to change this Europe, which crushes workers, farmers and entrepreneurs with its absurd rules,” he said.

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Associated Press journalist Trisha Thomas contributed to this report.

News from © The Associated Press, 2025