"I'm here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilise individually," said Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome. The protest, in bright sunshine, was peaceful, with students, children, and the elderly attending. It also featured at least one banner hailing Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, and anti-Israeli chants. As the march was ending, around 200 people broke away and clashed with officers in riot gear near the St. Mary Major basilica, police said. On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than two million people, organisers said.