Major Italian cities have been swept by demonstrations and blockades as part of a nationwide general strike called by grassroots unions in support of Palestine. Students, workers and activists staged protests that disrupted road, rail and port traffic.
In Rome, tens of thousands gathered at Piazza dei Cinquecento in front of Termini station, tightly monitored by police. In Milan, a march from Piazza Cadorna caused significant delays on the rail network, with trains running up to two hours late. Protesters in Pisa occupied the Florence-Pisa-Livorno highway, while in Naples students and unions marched through the city center, briefly blocking rail traffic at the Central Station.
Protests also took place in Turin, Genoa, Bologna, Venice, Bari, Florence, Livorno, Palermo and several other cities, often targeting universities, ports and key businesses. Demonstrators carried banners demanding an end to what they called the “genocide in Gaza,” a ceasefire, and the severing of ties with Israel.
The strike, which will continue throughout the day, also saw participation from Vatican employees, who aligned themselves with Pope Francis’s recent appeal for peace.