Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Italy on Friday, 3 October, in a general strike. The protest was organized by unions in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla and the people of Gaza. Italian political leaders have condemned the strike, but the protest is putting PM Meloni’s administration under considerable pressure.
The Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) claimed that 100,000 people participated in the protest in Milan. Demonstrators filled Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine.” Genoa saw 40,000 people marching from the ferry terminal to the city center, while at least 10,000 rallied in Brescia.
Historic centre of Venice blocked
Thousands blocked the A4 motorway toll plaza in Vicenza. In Venice, marches cut off access routes to the city’s historic center. In Rome, protesters marched to Termini station under banners reading “Stop the genocide, we are all Global Sumud Flotilla.”
Although police estimates are slightly lower than the above mentioned numbers, it is clear that at least several hundred thousand people took part in Friday’s strike. La Stampa, one of Italy’s largest daily newspapers, estimated the total number of protesters at one million.
Legality of the protest unclear
The strike was called by Italy’s largest trade union, CGIL, on Wednesday, when the Israeli army launched an attack on a flotilla of more than 40 ships attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The action was intended to draw attention to the catastrophic conditions in which Palestinian civilians live due to massive Israeli bombing and Israel’s restrictions on the entry of trucks carrying food and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the call for a general strike already on Thursday. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini told CGIL union leader Maurizio Landini that he would face consequences for the strike. “Those who organize illegal strikes must pay for the damages,” Mr Salvini said.
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According to the office responsible for overseeing strikes in the country, the protest is illegal because it was not reported in advance. CGIL denies that and defends the strike as ’fully legitimate’.
We urge a ceasefire, peace for Gaza, and recognition of the Palestinian state. — Vito Leccese, Mayor of Bari
Opposition politicians mostly voiced support for the strike. Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein marched in Rome, calling to “defend the right to strike”. Vito Leccese, Mayor of Bari, urged “a cease-fire, peace and recognition of the Palestinian state.” Tuscany’s Governor Eugenio Giani said his region demanded “peace, humanity and justice.”
Hard times for Giorgia Meloni
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is under growing pressure to take a stronger stance on Israel’s war in Gaza. While some other Western European nations have recently recognized Palestinian statehood, Meloni keeps insisting that Italy will only do so if Israeli hostages are freed and militant group Hamas has no role in Gaza’s governance.
EU leaders will soon discuss the Commission’s proposal to impose trade tariffs against Israel over human rights violations in Gaza. Suspension of the EU-Israel Trade Agreement will also be on the table. In order to take effect, those measures must be approved by a qualified majority of capitals. Italy, which has so far rejected these proposals, could play a decisive role.
