ROME, June 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Mothers of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus gathered in the Italian capital on Thursday for a peaceful demonstration to express protest against Kiev's aggression in southeastern Ukraine.

The demonstrators gathered near the US embassy in Rome with banners in their hands condemning the Kiev authorities’ policy of "open genocide against the civilian population in the southeast of the country". They also expressed protest that Western media kept silent over outrageous facts of violation of human rights by the Ukrainian leadership.

Women living in Italy particularly painfully took the news about the tragic death of Russian journalists Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin who were killed by mortar fire opened by the Ukrainian army near Luhansk. "We ourselves have children, grandchildren, nephews and children of friends living there," one of the demonstrators said.

They have collected hundreds of signatures under a petition to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, urging "to put pressure on the Ukrainian leaders" who commit crimes against own people. Those who signed the petition demand to immediately begin an investigation into numerous facts of violence and murders.

“All who disagree with Kiev's policy are arrested, are subject to persecution, shot dead and burned. Foreign citizens also have died. The international law and fundamental human rights, including for life, are violated,” they said in the petition.

It was not the first demonstration organized to express protest against Kiev's actions and condemnation of foreign media's indifference over the Ukrainian tragedy. People of various political views and professions come out to streets in Italian cities to express support the suffering Ukrainian population.