The following article was first published by the British daily The Independent on Saturday, October 4, 2025.

It describes a general strike and pro-Palestinian rallies across Italy on October 3 to demand an end to Israel’s brutal war on the Palestinian people in Gaza and to the complicity of the Italian government in it.

Italy’s hard-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the strike, which was called by the General Italian Confederation of Labor (CGIL) and other trade unions. Her deputy, Matteo Salvini, called the strike illegal and carried out without sufficient notice. He threatened sanctions against both the unions and individual strikers. “We will not allow the CGIL and left-wing extremists to bring chaos to Italy,” Salvini said.

The Italian government has been an ally of Israel and recently backed the Trump-Netanyahu Gaza plan.

The Global Sumud Flotilla mentioned below was a coordinated effort of 42 mostly small vessels that sailed from ports across the Mediterranean at the end of September. It attempted to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and highlight international solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The effort was not successful in breaching the blockade. The Israeli military intercepted the flotilla on October 1, arrested its 500 participants — including 40 from Italy, and prepared to deport them back to their countries. But as word on the flotilla filled social media news feeds, pro-Palestinian protests swept Europe, especially Italy, where marches and rallies took place in more than 100 cities.

The mass mobilizations in Italy included demands against austerity and for democratic rights. They set an example for the labor movement in other countries. By combining opposition to the Italian government’s support for Israel’s war crimes in Gaza with demands for workers’ rights at home, the Italian labor movement showed that the interests of the working class extend beyond national borders.

We are publishing the article that follows for the information of our readers. The headline, subhead, text, and photos below are from the original.

— World-Outlook editors

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Millions rally in Italy for Gaza as general strike halts services across the country

Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had sharply criticised the strike

By Giada Zampano

Saturday 04 October 2025 09:37 BST

More than two million people across Italy participated in a one-day general strike on Friday, with rallies in over 100 cities. Organised by the nation’s largest union, the action aimed to support Gaza residents and a humanitarian aid mission.

The strike was proclaimed after the Global Sumud Flotilla, attempting to breach Israel’s naval blockade for Gaza aid, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces on Wednesday night [October 1]. This Italian mobilisation follows widespread protests across Europe and globally, particularly strong in Italy.

Italy’s conservative Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, sharply criticised the strike. She anticipated widespread disruption, labelling it politically motivated and asserting it targeted her right-wing government.

According to the CGIL union, 300,000 people marched through the streets of Rome alone, while the national average participation in the general strike stood at around 60%, halting all the main services in key sectors including transportation and schools.

In Florence, protesters approached the gates of the Italian national soccer team’s training center to demand its upcoming World Cup qualifier against Israel not be played because of the war in Gaza.

Italy is scheduled to host Israel in Udine on Oct. 14. But UEFA is considering suspending Israel over the war. The players were not at the Coverciano training center in Florence, but the squad will convene there on Monday.

Protesters appeared to behave peacefully on the opposite side of the street from the soccer complex, holding aloft a banner that read in Italian, “Let’s stop Zionism with the resistance.”

On Friday morning [October 3], around 100,000 people participated in a rally in the northern city of Milan. Clashes there briefly erupted after a group of protesters blocking the city’s highway started throwing bottles at police, who responded with smoke bombs.

Isolated scuffles also happened in Turin, Bologna and Naples but the majority of the protests were peaceful.

“I still believe that all this brings no benefit to the Palestinian people. On the other hand, I understand that it will cause a lot of problems for the Italian people,” Meloni told reporters Thursday [October 2], condemning the strike. “Revolutions and long weekends don’t go well together.”

The Italian leader has been facing mounting pressure to change Italy’s stance as a longtime supporter of Israel in the Gaza conflict, as growing calls have emerged to stop the massive humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

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