ROME, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the Italian capital Thursday to commemorate victims of the Mafia and call for vigilance against crime syndicates.
Many of the marchers were themselves direct or indirect victims of mob violence, organizers of the event told Xinhua.
The event marked the 29th edition of the Day of Remembrance and Commitment in memory of the victims of the mafia, which is acknowledged across Italy.
It pays tribute to the 1,081 victims killed by the mafia in Italy since the unification of the country in 1861. All the victims' names were read out during the rally.
"This is an important opportunity to pay homage to those who have lost their lives at the hands of criminals, to rally around their families and pass on their stories to the younger ones, and to renew the daily commitment of each of us and our institutions against all forms of organized crime," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.
Italian President Sergio Matarella -- whose brother Piersanti was killed by the Sicilian Mafia in 1980 -- said the Day of Remembrance stresses "the commitment to free the population and territories from mafia organization, and to overcome the indifference and resignation that will always benefit criminal groups. Mafia organizations are a heavy burden for Italy."
In Rome, a march took place between the Piazza dell'Esquilino and Circus Maximus, during which demonstrators carried signs reading "Peace" and "Rome Free City".
"This is how we halt the spread" of Mafia activities, Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri told the march. "We stand together, united in our intentions."
Mariangela Catanzaro, a Rome-based 39-year-old civil servant, told Xinhua that the history of the Mafia in the country holds Italy back in Europe.
"We have great traditions in this country and people have many talents," said Catanzaro. A native of the southern Italian region of Calabria, she said her family had been threatened over the years by the 'Ndrangheta organization that dominates the area. "Italy is crippled by corruption and organized crime," she added.
Vincenzo Caruso, 70, a retired police officer from Rieti, northeast of Rome, said the families of mafia victims need to know they are not alone.
"The Mafia creates a problem that impacts all of us," Caruso told Xinhua. "We have to have empathy for the families of those who have been killed, and we have to be strategic in trying to stop the Mafia activities." ■
