Scendere in piazza!
Get down to the square—the rallying cry of Italians in Rome, Milan, Turin, Naples and a host of other Italian cities on Monday, September 22.
Sciopere generale! General strike!
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The cause—Palestina Libero!
Italy’s streets and ports erupted yesterday as hundreds of thousands joined a 24-hour general strike with mass demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The strike, led by the Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) and allied grassroots unions, disrupted trains, blocked ports in Genoa and Livorno, and flooded city squares from Rome and Milan to Naples, Turin, and Palermo
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USB—Italy’s Most Militant Union
USB, a militant “base union” born in 2010, is far smaller than Italy’s big three (CGIL, CISL, UIL), but prides itself on internationalist politics and combative tactics. Its leaders — including Pier Paolo Leonardi, Cinzia Della Porta, Massimo Briguori — framed the strike as a moral duty. They denounced what they call a “genocide” in Gaza and demanded Italy sever military ties with Israel.
Dockworkers, a USB stronghold, played a particularly visible role. In Genoa and Livorno, they refused to load ships suspected of carrying arms bound for Israel, echoing earlier actions USB had taken against shipments to Saudi Arabia during the Yemen war.
The protests were touted as peaceful by established media while video uploads via bystander smart phones showed violent altercations throughout Italy. In Milan, black clad demonstrators waving Palestinian flags tried to take over the city’s central train station. They smashed windows, threw chairs, broke bottles, and detonated home made smoke bombs. Police, in riot gear, were called in to stop the assault. They did so with billy clubs, tear gas, and pepper spray.
In Bologna, protesters followed the playbook of American demonstrations by gathering fast to block a highway. Italian police were called it to wash out the disruptors with huge water cannons.
Police reported about 60 injuries among their personnel while organizers estimated way over 100 protesters came away beaten by yesterday’s clashes.
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Recognize Palestine…Non adesso, Says Meloni
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni remains the most charismatic figure of international politics. She aligns herself with President Donald Trump and America’s foreign policy to stand with Israel. Right now, Europe is divided in support for a Palestinian state.
Pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is mounting. France, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, and others have recognized Palestine. Protesters argue Italy should follow suit. Yet, Meloni has insisted recognition is “premature and counterproductive” until conditions on the ground — such as ceasefire agreements and Palestinian Authority reforms — make a two-state solution viable.
Meloni’s reluctance reflects Italy’s desire to stay aligned with the United States and Germany, both cautious on recognition. She fears alienating Israel, with whom Italy maintains close security and intelligence ties. Her coalition includes pro-Israel factions and business interests linked to the defense sector.
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Italy’s Arms and Israel’s Wars
Israel is one of Italy’s major customers for quality weapons and military technology, claim those who organized yesterday’s protests.
Italy’s OTO Melara 76mm naval guns are now mounted on Israeli warships. Leonardo M-346 jet trainers and helicopters have been purchased by Israel for use in that country’s formidable Air Force.
Missile and bomb components used by Israel are produced by Italian subsidiaries. Ammunition and spare parts, made in Italy, are shipped to Israel under existing contracts.
Compared to the United States—where arms sales to Israel range from $3 to $6 billion, Italy has a far more modest arrangement. Sales to Israel for war materiel hovers around $15 million a year for Italy, claims ISTAT and other sources. Italy remains among the top three countries in total arms transfers to Israel: Italy makes up approximately five percent, Germany, 30 percent, and the United States 65 percent.
Meloni’s government announced a freeze on new export licenses to Israel after the October 2023 Gaza escalation. However, existing deals remain in force. Protesters argue this makes Italy complicit in what they see as genocide in Gaza.
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A Turning Point?
The protests come just weeks before critical regional elections in Tuscany, Campania, Apulia, and Veneto. For Italy’s left, mobilization around Gaza may double as a rallying cry to energize turnout. For Meloni, it’s a warning: ignore the streets, and the price may be political as well as diplomatic.
Countries in Europe that recognize Palestine as a state:
Spain (May 28, 2024)
Ireland (May 28, 2024)
Slovenia (June 5, 2024)
Sweden (October 30, 2014)
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia (1988)
France (September 22, 2025)
Portugal (September 21, 2025)
Luxembourg (September 22, 2025)
Belgium (September 2, 2025)
Countries in Europe that do not recognize Palestine as a state:
Italy
Germany
Netherlands
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Austria
Estonia
Croatia
Latvia
Lithuania
Ukraine
Major powers that recognize Palestine as a state:
Russia (1988)
China (1988)
India (1988)
Brazil (2010)
Major powers that do not recognize Palestine as a state:
United States
Japan
Editor’s Note: The first photograph shows Italian protesters in Rome with a sign that says, in English, “Yesterday partisans, today anti-Zionists and anti-Fascists. With the Palestine resistance.” The second photograph records a serious clash between protesters and police in Milan. The third photograph was taken in Naples where the sign reads, in English—“Let’s block everything. 9/22 General Strike. Stop the genocide in Palestine, let’s defend the Flotilla.” The fourth photograph shows a protest in Turin, where the sign reads, in English: “Piedmont knows which side to take. Free Palestine! It will always be resistance.” Photographs of USB leaders, Pier Paolo Leonardi and Cinzia Della Porta. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, pictured, while giving a speech. Italian armaments to Israel represent—as shown in the photographs—OTO Melara 76mm naval guns, Leonardo M-346 jet trainers, and MBDA missiles.
The web site for Unione Sindacale di Base: https://www.usb.it/index.html
To read the official statement of the current Italian government on the war in Gaza: https://www.esteri.it/en/sala_stampa/archivionotizie/comunicati/2025/07/dichiarazione-congiunta-su-gaza-e-i-territori-palestinesi-occupati/
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