The national La Via Maestra march took place in central Rome on 17 October 2026. Demonstrators walked from Piazza della Repubblica to Piazza del Popolo, calling for peace, decent work and the protection of public services.
The march was organised by the CGIL trade union confederation and La Via Maestra, an alliance bringing together more than a hundred secular and Catholic civil society organisations. CGIL general secretary Maurizio Landini put attendance at around 100,000. This figure is an estimate from a representative of the organisers.
Social needs before an arms race
In their platform, the organisers opposed increases in military spending. They called for more resources for healthcare, education, housing and social support, alongside higher wages and pensions and measures to tackle insecure employment.
The movement's appeal links security to access to work, medical care and quality education. The organisers see rising arms expenditure as a threat to those priorities.
Diplomacy, cooperation and the right to be heard
The peace agenda formed part of the march's wider social platform, which calls for diplomacy, international cooperation and disarmament. Other demands include environmental protection, reducing inequality and safeguarding the right to public protest.
Rome, 17 October 2026. The national La Via Maestra demonstration. Photo: © Marco Merlini / CGIL. CGIL / Flickr.