Protesters block traffic in Romein solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza<\/p>\n
Monday 22 September was a historic day in Italy.<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of people of all ages took part in the first truly nationwide – and arguably the largest in decades – strike<\/a> in solidarity with the people of Gaza<\/a>.<\/p>\n The protests were organised by grassroots unions<\/a>\u00a0such as Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) and other smaller bodies, rather than by the main trade union, CGIL. CGIL had called its own general strike<\/a> on 19 September, and whether any of its representatives joined the Gaza mobilisation remains unclear.<\/p>\n Independent student organisations, civil associations, the Italian NGO Emergency, which provides free medical aid in war zones, and Palestine<\/a> solidarity networks also joined. Demonstrations spread to at least 75 Italian cities, accompanied by blockades at ports, train and bus stations, highways, along with school closures and disruptions to public services.<\/p>\n In front of Rome’s Termini central station, a vast gathering quickly morphed into a procession, with 20,000 participants, according to police, and 100,000, according to organisers. In Bologna, organisers claimed 50,000 while police estimated 10,000 to 12,000.<\/p>\n At Turin’s main train station, Porta Nuova, protesters blocked platforms. In Florence, parts of the nearby highway were shut down, while in Trieste, in the north-east, similar scenes unfolded<\/a>.<\/p>\n The mobilisation was part of a massive, uncompromising and uncontainable civil awakening across Italy, fuelled by frustration and rage after nearly two years of genocide<\/a> waged by Israel<\/a> in Gaza, carried out with the explicit complicity of the Italian government.<\/p>\n In recent days, that pressure has translated into limited state action: Italy’s navy announced<\/a> it would dispatch the Alpino\u00a0frigate to assist the Global Sumud Flotilla<\/a> amid reports its vessels were attacked by (presumably Israeli)\u00a0drones, signalling the protest movement is triggering tangible responses from authorities.<\/p>\n Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni<\/a>\u00a0has largely remained silent on the spontaneous, peaceful gatherings across the country. Instead, she chose to reduce<\/a> them to images of the limited rioting in Milan and denounced the protests as “worthless and shameful”.<\/p>\n Her right-wing government quickly moved to smear demonstrators as “extremists who like to destroy while asking for peace in Gaza”, a response that was hardly surprising given that protesters clearly demanded immediate government action against Israel, including sanctions, suspension of military and commercial agreements related to weapons, recognition of Palestine<\/a>, an immediate ceasefire and expanded humanitarian aid through institutional channels.<\/p>\n While it is true that about 70 percent of the weapons<\/a> sent to Israel come from the United States – and do not pass through Italian ports – it should still be noted that, particularly through the\u00a0state-controlled defence group Leonardo, Italy is Tel Aviv’s third-largest arms supplier.<\/p>\n Despite a declared halt on new licences, exports<\/a> under previously signed contracts have continued<\/a>.<\/p>\n Riding the wave of growing Islamophobia<\/a> and Arabophobia among European right-wing parties,\u00a0Meloni has sought to gain credibility with the Trump<\/a> administration and Netanyahu’s government, never questioning Rome’s support for Israel.<\/p>\n Since taking office, Meloni has pushed Islamophobic measures<\/a>,\u00a0amplifying conspiracy theories about the “Islamisation” of Europe and\u00a0securitising mosques and community organisations. She has also\u00a0cracked down\u00a0<\/a>on pro-Palestine voices.<\/p>\n Rome’s reaction to Israeli attacks<\/a> on the Italian contingent stationed with Unifil in southern Lebanon<\/a> was extremely timid, and Meloni displayed an astonishing silence<\/a> and total indifference to US-Israeli threats and unprecedented sanctions<\/a> against the UN special rapporteur – and Italian citizen –\u00a0Francesca Albanese<\/a>.<\/p>\n More recently, Meloni expressed\u00a0opposition<\/a>\u00a0to Palestinian statehood\u00a0recognition<\/a> and aligned closely with Washington, even as she occasionally criticises<\/a>\u00a0Israeli strikes as disproportionate. Under growing pressure at home, she told<\/a> the United Nations General Assembly on 24 September that Italy will support some EU sanctions on Israel and that the war has “crossed a line”.<\/p>\n After months of mounting frustration over the government’s refusal to act on Gaza<\/a>, this week’s general strike saw the people take matters into their own hands<\/a> and lead a mobilisation that broke new ground.<\/p>\n Italian journalist Paola Caridi, who has spent years working and researching in Palestine and authored a well-known book on Hamas, noted that it marked several firsts: the first general strike held without the official participation of the main trade unions<\/a>; the first political – rather than contractual, related to workers’ rights – strike since the Red Brigades kidnapped former Prime Minister Aldo Moro in 1978; and the first general strike focused on an international issue, with Gaza, for many Italians and Europeans, an existential ethical test.<\/p>\n These protests were also likely inspired by a wave of actions about 20 days earlier by dockworkers in Genoa, who joined around 5,000 people to block the port again, this time alongside dockworkers in Livorno.<\/p>\nGovernment response<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Historic firsts<\/strong><\/h2>\n