Italy celebrates Liberation Day amid virus restrictions

Italians celebrated the 75th anniversary of their country's liberation from World War II occupation forces by emerging on balconies or rooftops to sing a folk song linked to resistance fighters.

Citizens played recordings of "Bella Ciao" or sang a cappella to mark Liberation Day, which is a national holiday.

The traditional marches and other memorial gatherings are banned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Rome, Italian air force jets flew overhead, trailing smoke colored with the red, white and green hues of the Italian flag.

The government's commissioner for the pandemic, Domenico Arcuri, cautioned Italians: "All must understand that we're not fully liberated from the virus. Against this enemy, we haven't regained our freedoms" yet.