In Rome, hundreds of student protesters calling for an end to the war in Iraq tried to disrupt a university performance by the famed La Scala Opera Orchestra, under the direction of Riccardo Muti. Rather than cancel the concert or forcibly remove the protesters, Muti addressed them directly, saying “The musicians you see seated here have been touring the world since 1996 in the name of peace.” The protesters apparently conceded the point, sitting quietly for the first part of the performance before leaving the premises.