ROME — Tens of thousands of people participated in anti-migration and pro-migration demonstrations in Rome on Saturday following the collection of 50,000 signatures for the Remigration and Reconquest initiative. The initiative, promoted by right-wing groups, calls for the coercive return of foreigners and financial incentives for them to leave Italy, and the signatures were collected to trigger an Italian parliamentary discussion.

Several thousand demonstrators from across Italy participated in the anti-migration march. Some participants performed the fascist salute and shouted "Duce! Duce!" Benito Mussolini ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943. Participants at this demonstration also sang the Italian national anthem.

A pro-migration demonstration, also attended by tens of thousands of people, occurred in a separate area of Rome on Saturday evening. Left-wing groups and trade unions participated in this demonstration. Some participants waved Palestinian flags.

Thousands of police officers were deployed in Rome to separate the two demonstration groups. No violence was reported during the demonstrations. The Italian Parliament has not scheduled a vote on the Remigration and Reconquest petition.

Premier Giorgia Meloni leads a right-wing coalition government in Italy. The anti-migration League party supports opening parliamentary discussion on the proposal. Meloni's Brothers of Italy party and centrist coalition allies have expressed caution regarding endorsement of the proposal. The Italian government previously approved a multiyear plan to admit non-European Union workers to address labor shortages.

New EU rules governing how member states handle irregular migration and asylum seekers took effect one day before the demonstrations. These rules are established under the European Migration and Asylum Pact. The EU consists of 27 member states.