To mark the third anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq a peace march is due to take place in the centre of Rome on Saturday 18 March. It will start at the Piazza Esedra at 14.30 and will follow a route which has yet to be decided, to end at Piazza Navona. The organisers of the march have agreed not to cross the busy Piazza Venezia but even so 46 bus routes will have to be diverted.

Following violence at a demonstration in Milan on Saturday 11 March, when occupants of social centres and members of no global groups clashed with the police, the Roman prefect, Achille Serra is taking every precaution to avoid similar violence in Rome. There will be more than 1,000 members of the security forces on duty during the march.