Rome Fountain Dim Lights For Gaza

CrossFireArabia
Culture
July 19, 2025

Rome dimmed the lights of the iconic Trevi Fountain for one hour Friday night in a symbolic call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, following a city council resolution last month that was titled, “Rome will not remain silent.”

“Let’s stop the war in Gaza” was also projected onto the front facade of the historic Palazzo Poli, which is behind the fountain, in a symbolic demand for a ceasefire.

A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in front of the fountain and waved Palestinian flags in protest of what they described as genocide by Israel in Gaza.

The projected message referenced “war,” but demonstrators held signs that read: “What’s happening in Gaza is not a war, it’s genocide.”

Some chanted slogans accusing Israel of committing atrocities against Palestinians worse than those perpetrated by Nazi Germany against Jews during World War II.

They also criticized the US and the EU for being complicit in their silence.

The group shouted “Free Palestine”, “Stop the genocide” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

The demonstration drew attention from tourists, with some showing support with the pro-Palestinian group according to Anadolu.

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

Culture News

Remembering The Brave: Rachel Corrie

marwan
August 2, 2026

Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American peace activist, was killed by an Israeli military bulldozer while standing as a human shield to protect a Palestinian family’s home from demolition.

In 2003, Rachel left the comfort of her home in Olympia, Washington, to stand in the dust of Rafah. She didn’t just talk about justice; she lived it, ultimately sacrificing her life to protect civilians she had never met. Though she was buried in the same sand she tried to defend, her voice has never been silenced.

Today, her parents, Craig and Cindy, carry on her courageous legacy, having spent decades transforming their grief into an unwavering struggle for Palestinian human rights. Rachel’s spirit remains an eternal flame for all who believe that love and justice are worth everything.

May God have mercy on you, Rachel. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Culture

Jerusalem After The Rain

marwan
August 2, 2026

Irina Naji writes:

Even after the rain, the sun is always reflected in every drop.
So too, hope always lives in the hearts of a people who cherish their memory, their land, and their love.

On her facebook page she says:

I narrate “the life, traditions and memory of the Palestinian people through my art.”

The painting is incredible in the use of color, painting and detail, itching out a buzzing community around Jerusalem even under the bright rain. The imagination is stark but realistic