Italy disrupted as protests over Gaza genocide sweep through cities

Several cities across Italy saw pro-Palestinian protests, strikes, and blockades, following union calls to "denounce the genocide in Gaza" and demand diplomatic and economic sanctions against Israel.

Workers across Italy launched a nationwide strike on Monday, halting public transport, rail services, schools, public offices, and ports in more than 60 cities.

Italian grassroots trade union, Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), called the strike to force Rome to “immediately break off relations with the terrorist state of Israel, which is the concrete way in which Italy can, and must, react to the genocide that is taking place.”

USB said protests were taking place in 81 locations across Italy, declaring, “For a free Palestine from the river to the sea, we will shout in every square.”

In Rome, hundreds of secondary school students gathered outside Termini railway station, waving Palestinian flags and chanting, “Free Palestine!”

Students in Bologna occupied university lecture halls under the banner of the Cambiare Rotta (Change Course) group.

Demonstrators also marched through Milan in heavy rain to demand a ceasefire and express support for the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla.

Protests also took place in the northern cities of Milan and Turin, the central city of Florence, and the southern cities of Naples, Bari, and Palermo.

Dock workers in Genoa and Livorno, in the center-north, blocked the ports and called for a halt to arms shipments to Israel.

UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese voiced support for the strikes, writing on X, “In Italy, the general strike has shut down train lines, ports, highways, schools & shops. With a genocide ongoing, there can be NO business as usual. Stay peaceful, everyone. Do not react to any provocation. Freedom for all allows no mistakes.”

The massive rallies coincided with France’s plan, alongside several other countries, to recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

This comes a day after Britain, Canada, and Australia formally recognized Palestine amid mounting public pressure to end their complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

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Longtime US and Israel allies are increasingly shifting positions, as the Tel Aviv regime escalates its genocidal war on Gaza, including a major ground offensive on Gaza City.

At the same time, Rome has ruled out recognizing a Palestinian state “for the moment.” 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ultra-conservative government is ideologically close to United States President Donald Trump and has adopted a cautious approach to the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza.

Meloni, however, in recent months repeatedly expressed her “concern” over Israel's brutal offensive across the besieged Palestinian territory.

However, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani recently told the Senate that Rome was prepared to consider EU trade sanctions against Israel, including measures targeting Israeli ministers over “unacceptable” policies in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

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Meanwhile, the Israeli army ordered the forced evacuation of a school in Gaza City sheltering hundreds of displaced people.

In the past 24 hours, over 60 Palestinians were killed, and scores were injured.

Since October 2023, at least 65,340 Palestinians have been killed and more than 166,790 injured in Israel's ongoing genocide, with many still trapped under the rubble.

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