By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

An unprecedented mobilization saw over two million people, according to the CGIL, take to the streets across Italy for the general strike called against Gaza genocide.

A day of protest that brought Italy to a halt from north to south. On Friday, following the illegal blockade of the Global Sumud Flotilla mission by Israel, the unions USB, CGIL, CUB, and SGB called a general strike that paralyzed transportation, schools, healthcare, and numerous public and private sectors.

According to the CGIL, more than two million people participated in demonstrations across Italy. Marches crossed the country from north to south: in Rome, about 300,000 people flooded the Tangenziale up to the A24; in Milan, there were 100,000 demonstrators; while in Genoa, 50,000 occupied the railway tracks, singing the partisan song Bella Ciao. In Bari, 20,000 people staged an impromptu sit-in at the station, shouting “Let’s change history.”

Italia sale a las calle, activistas cortan la estación de tren de Napoles.

Se producen manifestaciones en diferentes pueblos de Italia. pic.twitter.com/2ALZ1IMphc

— Alerta Gorria Irratia (@AlertaIrratia) October 1, 2025

Across Italy, there were more than a hundred marches and rallies, with symbolic moments such as the chants of Bella Ciao in Genoa and the spontaneous sit-in of 20,000 people at Bari’s train station. In Turin, some protesters attempted to force open the gates of Leonardo, but the protest concluded with a peaceful march of over 70,000 people to the City Hall.

Roadblocks and rallies also hit ports such as Naples and Livorno, as well as major highways, including the A14 in Bologna.

The strike had an immediate impact on transport. From the morning, there were cancellations and severe train delays, with guaranteed services only during the time slots of 6–9 a.m. and 6–9 p.m. Local public transport—buses, trams, subways, and funiculars—was halted for 24 hours.

In the aviation sector, the strike involved pilots and flight crews, with limited operations during the protected time slots of 7–10 AM and 6–9 PM.

Rome (AFP) – Hundreds of thousands of people protested across Italy on Friday during a large-scale strike over the treatment of the Gaza aid flotilla and far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's caut https://t.co/pFxbv4tMro pic.twitter.com/4j8RPxquMM

— zeta panama (@zetacompa) October 3, 2025

Political Reactions

The mobilization inevitably ignited political confrontation. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the strike as “illegitimate,” sneering that “a long weekend and revolution don’t go together.”

CGIL Secretary Maurizio Landini replied that the strike was fully legitimate:

“In the face of constitutional violations and the undermining of workers’ health and safety, the law allows strikes without notice.”

The Italian Constitution, in Article 11, states that Italy “repudiates war as an instrument of offense against the freedom of other peoples and as a means of settling international disputes.” National law, with Law No. 185 of 1990, explicitly prohibits the export of armaments “to countries whose policies are contrary to the principles of Article 11 of the Constitution.”

Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein sharply commented: “Hands off our rights,” while Giuseppe Conte accused Meloni of being “the first to stir up the streets.”

The Ministry of the Interior reported that a total of 29 demonstrations were organized with about 400,000 participants. On Thursday and Friday, 55 injuries among police forces were recorded.

(The Palestine Chronicle)