Thousands of armed police lined the streets of Rome today as anti-war demonstrators gathered to protest against visiting President George W. Bush and the US-led occupation of Iraq.
A hooded protester shoots a firework into the Defence Ministry in Rome
Sitting alongside the president in the Vatican, 84-year-old Pope John Paul II, struggling to utter each word, called for a speedy return of the country's sovereignty and said the recent appointment of an interim Iraqi government was an "encouraging step."
"It is the evident desire of everyone that this situation now be normalised as quickly as possible with the active participation of the international community and, in particular, the United Nations organisation, in order to ensure a speedy return of Iraq's sovereignty, in conditions of security for all its people," said the pope, who suffers from Parkinson's disease.
"Mr President, your visit to Rome takes place at a moment of great concern for the continuing situation of grave unrest in the Middle East, both in Iraq and in the Holy Land," the pope said.
In an indirect reference to US troops' abuse of Iraqi prisoners and grave events, such as the decapitation of American Nicholas Berg, the pope said, "In the past few weeks, other deplorable events have come to light which have troubled the civic and religious conscience of all."
He said those events "made more difficult a serene and resolute commitment to shared human values. In the absence of such a commitment, neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome."
Mr Bush landed early this morning for a two-day visit to celebrate the defeat of fascism in World War Two, but it is the war in Iraq that has raised passions which the authorities fear could lead to violent protests.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a staunch Bush ally, has warned of violent protests. Fears of a repeat of the mayhem that marred a G8 summit in Genoa in July 2001 have led Italy to massively bolster security until Mr Bush leaves tomorrow.
Under the watchful eye of police, tens of thousands of anti-war demonstrators marched through central Rome in protest at Bush's visit, calling for the withdrawal of Italian troops and waving rainbow flags that said No to War and Not in my name, Mr Bush.
The protest drew 150,000 people, according to organisers. Police put the crowd at around 25,000. Italy has 3,000 troops in Iraq but most Italians were against the war and want the coalition to pull troops out.
Small bands of a few hundred protesters began early morning marches around the capital, with a few throwing firecrackers at an Air Force building and setting a rubbish bin on fire, while others blocked a few roads.
Thousands of protesters were flocking to the capital from around Italy to take part in the larger protest. Many of the protesters waved the rainbow flags that have become an emblem of the anti-war movement here. "No to War", one banner said. "Not in my name, Mr Bush," another sign read.
Italy has deployed about 10,000 police to protect the president and his entourage.
Masked police snipers manned the roofs surrounding the US ambassador's residence where Mr Bush stayed the night as rainbow-coloured peace flags hung from balconies close-by.
As helicopters flew overhead, riot police with shields formed a human wall outside Rome's Termini station where tourists outnumbered protesters arriving by train.
During a three-day trip to Italy and France, Mr Bush will seek international support for his Iraq mission and commemorate the June 1944 liberation of Rome and the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
Mr Bush, a born-again Christian, met Pope John Paul, who threw the weight of the Catholic Church against the Iraq war and spoke out against the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers.
A senior administration official said Mr Bush would assure the Pope of his "personal commitment" to ensuring such abuses would not happen again, while reiterating his conviction that war was justified because "there are times when force is necessary".