Thousands rally for innocent victims of mafia in Italy

Thousands of people marched in Italy on Tuesday to mark the national day of remembrance for innocent victims of mafia.

Anti-mafia association Libera organized a major demonstration in the southern city of Locri in the Calabria region, which is the stronghold of one of the country's three major crime syndicates, the 'Ndrangheta.

Families of the victims led the rally, along with president of the Italian senate Pietro Grasso, Minister of Justice Andrea Orlando, and founder of Libera, and prominent anti-mafia priest, Luigi Ciotti.

The demonstrators bore a huge banner with the slogan "Places of hope, testimonies of beauty". A group of minor migrants also took part in the march, carrying a rainbow peace flag, Ansa news agency reported.

Organized in Italy since 1996, the day of remembrance for the victims of mafia violence has been actually recognized as national recurrence this year only, and it will be marked on March 21 every year.

"I am proud this day has been finally recognized by law," president of the Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini said in a statement.

"After long years of citizens' activism against organized crime, the lower house has finally bestowed, with an unanimous approval, its official recognition," she recalled.

Deputies approved the measure with 418 votes in favor and none against on March 1.

In Locri on Tuesday, an estimated 25,000 people took to the streets, and some Italian media outlets broadcasted the demonstration live in their online editions.

Similar rallies took place in other cities across the country, while several events to build anti-mafia awareness among younger generations were organized in schools and cultural places.

Italian president Sergio Mattarella -- whose older brother Piersanti was killed by Sicilian mafia in 1980 while serving as regional governor -- had led a previous demonstration in Locri on Sunday.

"Mafia people have no honor, nor courage," he had told the large crowd gathered for the event.

The following night, graffiti against police officers and against anti-mafia figure Luigi Ciotti were daubed along the walls of the local bishop's house.

After such episode, Ciotti received solidarity from Italy's major institutional representatives. Many people at the rally in Locri also sent their own peaceful reply, carrying banners reading "Today, we are all cops".

"We remember the names of all the members of the security forces who lost their lives (in fighting mafia)," the priest said before the rally kicked off.

Drug trafficking, money laundering, waste trafficking, and corruption are key criminal activities for all three major mafia groups in Italy, namely Sicilian Cosa Nostra, Naples-based Camorra, and Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta.

They operate worldwide, and their power has further increased through infiltration in the legal economy.

"The global extent of their criminal operations ensures that Italian organized crime groups are among the most threatening in Europe," European Union (EU) law enforcement agency Europol wrote in 2016.

According to a 2013 estimate, the 'Ndrangheta alone would take in almost 44 billion euros (47.5 billion U.S. dollars) per year, Europol stated.