Amnesty stages flash mob for migrants in central Rome

(ANSA) - Rome, July 23 - Supporters of Amnesty International Italy gathered in central Rome on Thursday to draw attention to the plight of the more than 70,000 migrants and asylum seekers that have arrived in Italy so far this year.
    Participants in the flash mob protest in front of Rome's Pantheon wore life jackets and gathered around a model boat symbolising the form of transport used by migrants fleeing war, poverty and persecution.
    After the protest, Amnesty officials were received at Premier Matteo Renzi's office and handed over a petition with 50,000 signatures. The petition, which adds to the more than 500,000 signatures gathered in all of Europe, calls on authorities to prioritise human lives in migration policies. It also urges European governments to stop cooperating with other countries who violate the rights of refugees and migrants.