Two evenings ago, I finally witnessed a protest in Rome! Being the capital of the nation, I was anticipating to see many more throughout my time here- perhaps I just wasn’t at the right places at the right times. This protest however was happening right outside my window along the Lungotevere!
The police or carabinieri were all lined up blocking the street in front of the Ministry of Justice, which forced me to take an alternative route home.
The protestors were acting against the repression of the judicial system that, for example, recently jailed a number of teenage girls for smoking less than a few grams of marijuana. Given the many other problems that the Italian state is facing and has faced-Berlusconi and his league of corrupt cronies- not to mention significantly high unemployment, jailing young citizens for such petty crimes is ridiculous. Not to mention that only a few hundred kilometers away in Amsterdam one can smoke as much marijuana legally as one desires.
As a city-planning student who is trained to also view the city from a political lens, I find such peaceful protests a positive sign of active citizens who truly care about their country and how it’s run.