Thousands march in rival pro- and anti-migration rallies

Tens of thousands of people filled the streets of Rome on Saturday for rival demonstrations over immigration policy, highlighting deep societal divisions as a far-right citizens' initiative gained enough support to be formally submitted to parliament.

The competing marches saw several thousand anti-immigration demonstrators gather in the city's Prati neighborhood, while a larger, pro-migration rally drew tens of thousands to a separate part of the capital. Thousands of police officers were deployed to keep the two groups apart, and no violence was reported.

The anti-immigration march was organized by groups including the Remigration and Reconquest Committee, which promotes a popular bill of the same name. The petition for this initiative has collected well over 130,000 signatures, surpassing the 50,000 required to trigger parliamentary discussion. The proposal calls for stricter migration controls, financial incentives for foreigners to leave Italy, and policies encouraging the return of descendants of Italians living abroad. During the march, some participants raised their arms in the fascist salute and chanted "Duce!" in reference to former dictator Benito Mussolini.