ROME — Several thousand demonstrators advocating for Palestinian rights took to the streets of Rome on Saturday, leading to clashes with law enforcement as they called for an immediate ceasefire in the region.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the gathering, which began in the morning in the Ostiense neighborhood of southern Rome, was conducted without official authorization. Participants, many waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags, voiced their demands through chants and slogans. Tensions escalated in the afternoon when attempts by protesters to move closer to the city center were blocked by police, resulting in confrontations.

The situation intensified as some demonstrators threw paper bombs and bottles at police officers, who responded with water cannons and tear gas to control the crowd. The clashes culminated in the dispersal of the protesters by the police. Local media sources from the Interior Ministry reported that the confrontations left about 30 law enforcement officers and three demonstrators injured.