(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 14 - The two biggest Italian opposition groups, the Democratic Party (PD) and 5-Star Movement (M5S), bickered on Saturday over how to build an alternative to the ruling alliance led by Premier Giorgia Meloni and her right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
    During a PD assembly in Rome, Secretary Elly Schlein reiterated her appeal for the opposition parties to join forces.
    "We cannot spend this year with each one of us focusing on our own business and postponing the work of building an alternative, which we owe to our people, until the eve of the next general election," Schlein said.
    But M5S Vice President and former Turin mayor Chiara Appendino suggested the appeal lacked credibility, accusing the PD of "betraying" the progressive cause on several fronts, such as voting in favour of Raffaele Fitto, a FdI member, becoming European Commission Vice President, and support for military aid for Ukraine.
    "In addition to calling for unity, we must be stubbornly coherent," Appendino said. "Words and appeals are not enough.
    "Let's not run away from the problems, dear Elly, assume your responsibilities.
    "To beat this right we need a credible alternative, we need to be stubbornly pacifist, environmentalist and progressive.
    "Deeds count, not the labels".
    During her address, Schlein had blasted the "fabulous world of Meloni on stage at Atreju," referring to the ongoing festival organized by the FdI's youth branch.
    She accused the premier of peddling "propaganda gimmicks that tell us that the country is on a roll".
    Organizers of a big Rome march staged on Saturday to protest against the government's controversial 'security bill', meanwhile, said that around 50,000 people took part.
    The package has come under fire from many quarters for, among other things, allegedly undermining the right to peaceful protest.
    The bill makes it a criminal offence to block roads and railways, with people found guilty facing up to two years in jail.
    The move has been viewed as targetting climate protesters, who have frequently blocked roads in attempts to draw attention to the need to address global heating. Up to now such protests were punished by an administrative sanction such as a fine.
    This comes after the government increased penalties in a previous measure for protests targetting works of art and monuments, with fines of up to 60,000 euros, after the Last Generation (UG) climate group staged a series of stunts spraying colourful substances over several famous ones.
    "Many, many people are on the streets to protest against a bill of fear, against the Right that aims to erase the right of freedom and the right to dissent," said Nicola Fratoianni of the Green-Left Alliance (AVS).
    The package also includes measures to protect police who are subject to acts of violence, a new crime to punish people who organize and-or participate in prison revolts, faster procedures to liberate illegally occupied buildings and stiffer penalties for criminals who scam the elderly.
    It clamps down of forms of 'passive resistance' to orders, such as hunger strikes, and makes it a felony for businesses to sell sim cards to people who do not have ID documents and a residence permit.
    It scraps an exemption on pregnant women and women with children under one-year-old going to prison, a measure seen as targetting pickpockets on public transport (ANSA).