Tens of thousands of Italians chanting “resign, resign” marched through Rome on Saturday demanding that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who they accused of corruption, step down.

The national demonstration, called “No B Day,” was organized by grassroots organizations from around the country which ran appeals on the internet and social networking sites for Italians to flock to Rome to participate.

“I have a dream - Berlusconi in jail,” the demonstrators chanted in unison as they marched the several kilometers from the capital's main train station to a square in front of St. John's Basilica.

The crowd, which police estimated at 90,000 but organizers said was larger, included actors and writers, among them Nobel Literature laureate Dario Fo.

“This a day of democracy, a day that shows that the country can come together to build an alternative and most of all to tell Berlusconi to go,” said Antonio di Pietro, a ex anti-graft magistrate who heads the opposition Italy of Values party.