An estimated 300,000 Italians gathered in Rome at the weekend to demonstrate against gay unions and the teaching of gender theories in schools.

Protesters, angry at Italian PM Matteo Renzi’s attempts to push a civil unions bill through parliament and the teaching of ‘gender theories’ in schools, overwhelmed Rome’s San Giovanni Square on Saturday brandishing banners reading ‘The family will save the world’ and ‘No Gender in Schools’.

The protesters marshalled by an organisation called Defend Our Children (Difendere i nostri figli).

“We are asking for families based on marriage be respected, and stressing the central role parents play. We forcefully reject the attempt to sneak into the curriculum projects which aim to destroy children’s sexual identities,” Massimo Gandolfini, spokesman for the group, told AFP.

Organisers stated that one million protesters took part in the demonstration, but this claim is unverified by Italian police. San Giovanni Square, with a capacity of 300,000, was full with many attendees spilling into nearby streets.

Prime Minister Renzi has called for a parliamentary vote in the coming weeks on the legislation of same-sex civil unions and has expressed a desire to have the new legislation enacted by July, reports Gay Star News.

It might be a hard sell for Renzi, however: the influence of the Catholic Church remains strong and a survey published by Italian daily La Stampa at the end of May found that only 51 percent of voters would support gay marriage.