Protests and Strikes in Italy Show Support for Palestinians

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On Monday thousands of people across Italy took part in a nationwide strike and massive street protests to show support for Palestinians in Gaza. The demonstrations were some of the largest in recent months, as unions, students, and activists joined together to demand stronger action against Israel and its ongoing war in Gaza.

The strike was called by grassroots labor unions that represent workers from many fields, including schools, factories, public transport, and ports. The unions named the protest “Let’s Block Everything,” and they meant it. Their goal was to shut down as many services as possible to draw attention to the suffering of people in Gaza.

Public life in Italy slowed down dramatically. National trains were delayed for hours, local buses and metro services in big cities like Rome and Milan were disrupted, and schools in several towns reported low attendance. In ports such as Genoa and Livorno, workers staged sit-ins that stopped or delayed the movement of goods. These actions caused significant disturbances in the flow of daily life, but protesters said it was necessary to make the government and European leaders notice their message.

In Milan, the protest grew more intense. A group of demonstrators, dressed in black and carrying sticks, attempted to force their way into the city’s main train station. They hurled smoke bombs, bottles, and stones at police officers. The police responded with pepper spray to push them back. Similar unrest was reported in Bologna, where police used water cannons to clear protesters who were blocking a busy highway.

One of the most powerful demonstrations took place in Rome, where over 20,000 people gathered outside the central station. They carried banners, shouted slogans, and demanded an end to the shipment of weapons from Italy to Israel. Many speakers said that the European Union, as well as Italy, had been too passive about the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Student groups, together with trade unions, openly accused the government of “doing nothing” while civilians in Gaza continued to suffer.

Union leader Walter Montagnoli explained why the strike was important. “If we don’t stop trade with Israel, if we don’t block the weapons, nothing will ever change,” he said during a march in Milan. For him and many others, economic pressure was the only way to send a real message.

The Italian government, however, had a very different opinion. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticized the violence and said protests should not harm security forces or public property. “It’s not through violence, blocking roads, and attacking stations that we help the Palestinian people,” he wrote.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has been under heavy pressure at home. Although she is known to be a close ally of Israel in the European Union, the rising anger in Italian streets has forced her administration to speak more sharply about Israel’s actions in Gaza. Still, Italy has not joined countries like France, Canada, the U.K., and Australia, which recently announced that they would formally recognize a Palestinian state during this week’s United Nations General Assembly.

The protests in Italy also connected to the larger history of the conflict. For decades, the idea of creating a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza has been considered the only long-term solution. But the war that started after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, has made the situation more urgent and more tragic. In that attack, about 1,200 people in Israel were killed, and 251 were kidnapped. Nearly two years later, 48 hostages are still in Gaza, and Israel believes around 20 of them are alive.

Israel’s response to the attack has been devastating for Gaza. In the last 23 months, more than 65,100 people have died, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which many international agencies consider a reliable source. Large parts of Gaza have been destroyed, around 90% of the population has been forced to leave their homes, and famine is spreading, especially in Gaza City. Entire neighborhoods have vanished, hospitals are overcrowded, and children are among the most affected.

These numbers, while shocking, explain why so many Italians felt compelled to take to the streets. The protesters believe that silence or inactivity equals complicity. For them, this strike was not only about stopping trains or blocking ports. It was about sending a strong message that ordinary people refuse to ignore the human suffering in Gaza any longer.

The Italian strikes and demonstrations were part of a growing global movement. As more countries move toward recognizing Palestinian statehood, public pressure continues to rise. The events in Italy show how deeply the war in Gaza has touched ordinary lives, even thousands of kilometers away, and how the issue has become a central point in world politics.

For Italy, the protests raise serious questions. Will the government continue to stand firmly with Israel, or will domestic voices force it to reconsider its stance? And for the international community, the strikes are another sign that people around the world want a solution, not endless war.

Italy Gaza protests