The impressive security measures at Pope Francis' funeral, from anti-drone bazookas to Eurofighters
ADVERTISEMENT
The security measures for the funeral of Pope Francis scheduled for Saturday will be unlike anything Rome has seen in living memory.
Thousands of police officers will be deployed for the funeral, with reinforcements arriving from several Italian regions. That's before considering the security services being brought along by the 130 foreign delegations.
The area around the Holy See and along the route of the funeral procession will be protected by a comprehensive security presence covering threats from air, land, and sea: a Navy destroyer near the capital, Eurofighter jets from the Italian Air Force, radar installations, and anti-drone systems.
In the event of sightings of unauthorised aircraft, innovative devices will be used to disrupt their communications.
An armoured St Peter's
The area of St Peter's Square will be fortified, with preventive ground clearance and drones at the Questura to guarantee a bird's eye view with 3D imagery.
The urban quadrant around the basilica will be divided into five security zones. Sharpshooters will be deployed atop buildings; below will be bomb disposal squads, canine units, river police patrolling the Tiber and the quays, and fire brigade units prepared to counter the nuclear, bacteriological, chemical and radiological threats.
At midnight on Saturday, a "green zone" will begin operating, with measures prohibiting demonstrations and the transport of hazardous goods.
After the funeral service, the procession will leave for Santa Maria Maggiore, where Pope Francis will be buried. Contrary to what has been reported in recent days, however, the cortege will not pass through St. Peter's Square.
Its 6 km journey will take about half an hour, leaving via the Porta del Perugino and then following the route indicated by the Questura.
The route partly follows the ancient Via Papalis, which the popes travelled in procession after their election and consecration in St. Peter's to reach the Lateran Basilica, seat of the episcopal chair.
Along the way, Pope Francis' coffin will pass symbolic places such as the Colosseum, which hosts the traditional celebration of the Via Crucis on Good Friday, and the Piazza Venezia.
The medical plan
In addition to the security arrangements, there is also a health strategy organised by the Lazio Region.
Ambulances, medical points and rescue teams will be deployed from St. Peter's Square to Santa Maria Maggiore, as well as in metro stations and the most crowded areas. Coordination is entrusted to Ares 118, the regional health emergency company.
Six advanced medical posts will be set up in the areas that will be most crowded between St. Peter's Square, Castel Sant'Angelo and the Piazza Risorgimento.
Units for psychological assistance and a Unidec team for decontamination from chemical agents will also be operational, along with 80-foot teams and 13 ambulances.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
Pope Leo and Putin hold 'constructive' call on Ukraine war, says Kremlin
Vladimir Putin discussed the war in Ukraine with Pope Leo in a telephone call on Wednesday, June 4, with the Kremlin claiming the Russian president wanted peace through diplomacy. Putin, however, also claimed "the regime in Kyiv is betting on an escalation of the conflict and carrying out acts of sabotage against civil infrastructure on Russian territory," it said in a statement. In the phone call, Putin "reaffirmed his interest in bringing about peace by political and diplomatic means," the Kremlin said, describing the call as "constructive." He did so "underlining that in order to come to a definitive, just and comprehensive settlement to the crisis, it was necessary to eliminate the deep-seated causes." That evoked language typically used to refer to a mix of sweeping demands regularly put forward by Russia, including limiting Ukraine's military, banning the country from joining NATO and massive territorial concessions. Ukraine has rejected those calls and demanded an unconditional ceasefire, which Russia refuses. The afternoon phone call was the first between the US-born pope and Putin since Leo became head of the world's Catholics last month. After taking office, the pontiff offered to mediate between leaders of countries at war – an offer that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later said meant hosting Ukraine peace talks at the Vatican. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cast doubt on the idea, saying "it would be a bit inelegant for Orthodox countries to discuss (the conflict), on Catholic ground." On Wednesday, Putin thanked Leo for "his willingness to contribute to a settlement" of the conflict, the Kremlin said. 'Seek solutions to the conflict' The Vatican said in a statement that during the call with Putin, "the pope made an appeal for Russia to make a gesture that favours peace." Leo also "underlined the importance of dialogue for the realisation of positive contacts between the parties and to seek solutions to the conflict." The two men talked about the humanitarian situation and the need to favour aid where necessary, and the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. In addition, the pope offered his thanks for Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a close supporter of Putin, for his good wishes at the start of his pontificate. He "emphasized how common Christian values can be a light that helps to seek peace, defend life and seek true religious freedom," the Vatican statement said. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Holy See has been at odds with Kirill, who has described the conflict as a "holy war." More than three years into Russia's grinding invasion, which has cost tens of thousands of lives, Russia and Ukraine have opened direct talks searching for a way to end what has become Europe's largest conflict since World War II. At a second round of negotiations on Monday, the two sides swapped documents with their terms for a ceasefire and agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange, which could go forward this weekend.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
Trump administration blasted for trying to wipe gay rights icon Harvey Milk's name from US naval ship
Leaders in San Francisco are blasting the Trump administration for stripping the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk from a US naval ship − especially during Pride Month, when people gather to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Milk is a revered figure in San Francisco history, a former city supervisor and gay rights advocate who was fatally shot along with Mayor George Moscone in 1978 by disgruntled former supervisor Dan White. Just last month, California marked what would have been Milk's 95 th birthday with proclamations heralding his authenticity, kindness and calls for unity. Milk served for four years in the Navy during the Korean War, before he was forced out for being gay. He later moved to San Francisco, where he became one of the first out gay politicians in the world with his election to the Board of Supervisors in 1977. Cleve Jones, a close friend and LGBTQ+ activist, dismissed the renaming as an attempt by the Trump administration to distract the American public from far more serious concerns, including the ongoing war in Gaza and looming cuts to Medicaid and Social Security. "Yes, this is cruel and petty and stupid, and yes, it's an insult to my community," Jones said. "I would be willing to wager a considerable sum that American families sitting around that proverbial kitchen table this evening are not going to be talking about how much safer they feel now that Harvey's name is going to be taken off that ship." The Pentagon has not confirmed news of the renaming − a highly rare move − but unnamed officials say the change was laid out in an internal memo. It is in keeping with attempts by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the broader Trump administration to purge all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. A new name has not yet been selected for the USNS Harvey Milk. Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, said in a phone call on Wednesday, June 4, that he and the Harvey Milk Foundation have reached out to the Pentagon, which confirmed there is a proposed name change on the table. "And our hope is that the recommendation is put aside, but if it's not, it will be a rallying cry not just for our community but for all minority communities," said Stuart Milk, who is executive chair of the foundation, adding that his uncle always said that gay rights, and those of other marginalized communities, required constant vigilance. Elected officials, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Gavin Newsom, called the move a shameful attempt to erase the contributions of LGBTQ+ people and an insult to fundamental American values of honoring veterans and those who worked to build a better country. Pelosi and Newsom are both San Francisco Democrats. Newsom took aim at Hegseth, calling the attempt "A cowardly act from a man desperate to distract us from his inability to lead the Pentagon" on the social platform X. In a statement, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said Milk dedicated his life to serving the city and country, and is a role model for all Americans. He did not mention Trump or Hegseth.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
Macron attempts to ease tensions with Meloni in Rome
The reconciliation attempt lasted more than three hours and took the form of a long one-on-one meeting followed by dinner. With kisses and smiles, Giorgia Meloni warmly greeted Emmanuel Macron in Rome on Tuesday, June 3, at Palazzo Chigi, the Italian prime minister's residence. At the end of the evening, the two leaders issued a brief joint statement, highlighting their "strong convergences" and pledging to "coordinate their efforts in European mobilization and action" on major international issues, particularly those where tensions have grown since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Relations between the Italian prime minister, who comes from a post-fascist party, and the pro-European French president have always been complicated, but they have become even more strained since January against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. The Italian press and opposition criticized Meloni's absence during Macron's visit to Kyiv on May 10, when he was accompanied by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the British and Polish prime ministers, Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk. The Italian leader has made no secret of her reservations about Macron's proposal to send European troops to support Kyiv and enforce a highly unlikely ceasefire with Moscow – a subject that was taken out of their joint statement. "The continued unwavering support of France and Italy for Ukraine is even more necessary to achieve a just and lasting solution," the statement emphasized. The two leaders also agreed to hold a bilateral summit in France at the beginning of 2026.
