Italian police intervened to prevent two groups of pro-Palestinian activists from disrupting the opening stages of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics torch relay in Rome. Authorities removed both groups before they could reach the relay route, while a third group waved Palestinian flags as the relay passed by La Sapienza University. The torch relay, which began at the Stadio dei Marmi with Olympic champion Gregorio Paltrinieri, is set to travel through all Italian provinces before concluding at Milan's San Siro Stadium for the opening ceremony. The event has seen heightened security amid ongoing protests related to the war in Gaza.