FIFTY thousand white shrouds were laid in city squares across Italy on Saturday to represent the Palestinian dead from Israel’s brutal war on Gaza.

The nationwide protest was organised by trade union federation CGIL, the National Association of Italian Partisans — which was founded by anti-fascist partisans of the Mussolini era and is a broad anti-fascist front — and the Italian Creative and Cultural Association.

Major demonstrations took place in Rome’s Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, Milan’s Piazza Castello and Palermo’s Piazza Politeama. Shrouds were laid in over 200 towns and cities.

“Let’s fill Italy with shrouds, with pity. Let’s stop the massacre,” a statement by the protest organisers said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for breaching international law, but protesters say Italy continues to be complicit. Last week lawyers filed a complaint with the courts on Italy’s memorandum of understanding on military co-operation with Israel, saying continuing it was unacceptable given the crimes Israel is accused of at the International Court of Justice.