Dozens of Italian journalists and media professionals gathered Sunday at Porta San Giovanni Square in Rome to protest what they described as the Israeli occupation’s systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists in Gaza.

The sit-in marked a bold denunciation of Israel’s ongoing military campaign, which participants and organizers labeled a genocide.

Holding photos of slain Palestinian journalists, demonstrators called for urgent international action to end the violence in Gaza. They demanded Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid coordinated by the United Nations and other international organizations.

A statement issued during the protest declared that a genocide is “unfolding before our eyes,” citing the death of 226 journalists since the start of the conflict—an unprecedented toll surpassing figures from even the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century.

The protestors emphasized that it is through the courage and sacrifices of Palestinian journalists that the world has learned of the realities on the ground in Gaza, even as Israeli forces continue to block access to international media and deliberately target local journalists and their families.

The demonstrators condemned what they described as widespread double standards in global media coverage of the war, particularly in reporting on Palestinian casualties. They called on the Italian and European press to explicitly label the situation as a "genocide" and abandon euphemistic language that obscures the scale of the crisis.

Participants also urged Italian editorial boards and state institutions to speak out against Israeli actions, arguing that continued silence from the media establishment is untenable. They called for greater mobilization among journalists across Italy and Europe.

The protestors appealed to both the Italian government and the European Union to fulfill their international obligations by taking decisive measures to stop the violence in Gaza. They demanded that Israel permit international media to freely access Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, stating that the denial of such access constitutes a gross violation of the right to information and undermines core democratic principles.

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, the sit-in in Rome reflects a growing sense of urgency among European media professionals to not only bear witness but to act decisively in defense of journalistic freedom and human rights. (ILKHA)