Seventeen civil unions have been registered in the city of Rome during a celebration of this right, which was voted through by the city council last January. Some of these unions were between members of the same sex. The celebration was lively and happy, with the couples kissing and exchanging rings in front of friends and family. During the ceremony, one man could be heard shouting at the couples and complaining of the decline of Rome. "Now we want a national law immediately," affirmed Deputy Mayor Luigi Nieri.