On the day that French President Francois Hollande met Pope Francis at the Vatican, Manif Pour Tous rolled out an enormous flag containing a symbol of the family on the ground of Piazza del Popolo in Rome.
The French organisation, which has been leading a very popular campaign for the family and against same-sex “marriage”, said the 600 square metre flag was a sign of their “discomfort for the arrival in Rome” of the French President whom they described as “promoter of policies against the natural family.”
Same-sex “marriage” became legal in France in May last year and the Hollande government has been pushing to relax abortion laws.
Manif Pour Tous, which now has an office in Italy, also said the action was aimed at expressing concern for a plan of Rome’s mayor, Ignazio Marino, to promote the teaching of gender in Rome schools.
The organisation also said it “once again reiterates its opposition” to a law currently being debated in Italy that proposes to criminalise “homophobia.” The group, which held a large rally in Rome against the bill earlier this month, said it “promises new peaceful events to raise awareness.”
The next protest will be held Feb. 2 in Rome’s Piazza Farnese, together with other European cities. It will also be a campaign against the Lunacek Report, a European Parliament proposal to mandate sexual education to 4 year old children, known as “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.»
