Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty. In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions. Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on Jan 3. Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law. Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day. Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions. Shotlist: Rome, Italy - Jan 10, 2025: 1. Various of protesters, police officers on street; 2. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Giovanni Barbera, protester (partially overlaid with shot 3): "First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; 3. People filming with phones [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; 4. Various of protest in progress; 5. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Stefano De Angelis, protester (partially overlaid with shot 6): "We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; 6. Protest in progress [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]; Athens, Greece - Jan 10, 2025 7. Various of protesters on street; 8. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Argiro Sirmakezi, protester: "We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior."; 9. Building, traffic. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]