ROME — A general strike swept across Italy on Monday, with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in dozens of cities to protest the ongoing war in Gaza and growing violence in the West Bank. The 24-hour strike, called by grassroots unions, involved both the public and private sectors, causing significant disruption to transportation and daily life.
The protests, organized by unions such as the Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) and Confederazione Unitaria di Base (CUB), aimed to increase pressure on the Italian government to take a stronger stance against the conflict and to halt the shipment of weapons to Israel.
Demonstrations turned confrontational in several key urban centers. In Milan, protesters stormed the city’s central station, leading to clashes with police who reportedly used pepper spray. In Rome, demonstrators blocked the ring road, and thousands gathered at the city’s main train station. In Venice, activists protested at the port, denouncing the departure of ships believed to be carrying weapons to Israel.
Police deployed water cannons to disperse crowds in Venice and Bologna after hours of marches and sit-ins. While the strike was a nationwide event, the protests were particularly pronounced in major cities, where organizers called for a complete “Block Everything” action.
The Italian government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is a close ally of Israel, but has recently adopted a more cautious tone amid rising domestic pressure. Prime Minister Meloni has criticized the violence that broke out during the protests, stating, “Violence and destruction have nothing to do with solidarity and won’t change a thing in the lives of people in Gaza.”
Unions, on the other hand, have demanded more decisive action. Walter Montagnoli, the national secretary of the CUB union, was quoted as saying, “If we don’t block what Israel is doing, if we don’t block trade, the distribution of weapons and everything else with Israel, we will not ever achieve anything.”
The strike and protests coincide with discussions at the United Nations General Assembly, where several countries have announced or are considering the recognition of a Palestinian state, a step the Italian government has said it will not take at this stage.
