ROME-- The Police have announced anti-terror measures for the Way of the Cross on Easter weekend, as hundreds of tourists and worshippers flock to the capital.

 One of the main precautions will be a large pedestrian island, a kind of red zone, from Circo Massimo to via Cavour, in response to the level two terror alert that has been predicted for the weekend. There will also be “special surveillance” measures for loading and unloading goods vehicles in the centre, and controls in airports, ports and stations will be increased.

 On Friday tens of thousands of worshippers from all over the world will gather in the Colosseum area for the Way of the Cross, where Pope Francis will be present. It will be very tricky to guarantee the safety for this event, in the light of the recent terrorist attacks- both in London and Stockholm, where crowds were knocked down by vehicles, but also in Cairo, where a dozen Coptic Christians fell victim to extremism.

 The pedestrian island is in place to try to counter vehicle-based attacks, and, as a result, is much bigger than it has been in previous years. Access to the Roman-Palatine forum will stop at 3pm, and the last tickets will be sold at 2pm. The Metro B Colosseo station will also close at 3pm.

 Given the nature of the recent attacks in Europe, there will be increased controls on the trucks that transport goods round the centre. There will also be more military officers on the streets, especially on those near to tourist attractions, and checks will be carried out on cars as well as bigger vehicles.

 The other possible cause for concern on the Easter weekend is the Roma-Atalanta match, which will take place at 3pm on Saturday. The match always requires law enforcement measures, as the relationship between the fans of the two teams is problematic. The police will be putting up barriers in the stands to avoid the two different sides mixing, and there will be strict security at the entrance of the stadium, and for fans entering the city centre. 

TM