ROME (Islamweb & News Agencies) - War and peace divided Rome on Saturday where tens of thousands of people attended a pro-U.S. rally at the same time as protesters denounced the Afghan conflict just blocks away.
Holding aloft a sea of U.S. and Italian flags, which fluttered wildly in the blustery wind, the American supporters chanted ``USA, USA'' and yelled their approval at speakers who called for the eradication of terrorism.
``Today, we are all citizens of New York,'' Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told the crowd in Rome's Piazza del Popolo, with church bells echoing out around the packed square.
``We are and will remain a peaceful country, but it is to bring peace that we will confront war with war,'' he said. ``This is a conflict between civilization and barbarity.''
On the other side of Rome's ancient city center, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets waving rainbow-colored peace flags and banners calling for an end to the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan.
When the procession reached the historic Circus Maximus, the crowds left candles on the grass spelling out ``No war.''
Security forces were out en masse to avert violence like that which earlier this year marred a G8 summit in Genoa, where police shot one anti-globalization demonstrator dead, but as nightfall came on Saturday no troubles were reported.
Other, smaller anti-war rallies were also staged in various European cities, including Berlin and Geneva.