General Strike for Palestine in Italy

Featured image: Protesters clash with riot police at Milan central train station. Source: AFP.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in dozens of cities across Italy on Monday 22^nd of September, blockading highways, ports, train stations, schools, etc. The unions Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), Confederazione Unitaria di Base (CUB), Sindacato Generale di Base (SGB) and Associazione Diritti Lavoratori (ADL) called for a 24-hour general strike in solidarity with Palestine, under the slogan “Let’s Block Everything”. The organizers stated that “up to half a million people joined the strike, halting 90% of public transport and half of rail services”.

The strike was organized after dockworkers in Genoa vowed to support the Global Sumud Flotilla by threatening to prevent the exit of container ships carrying goods to Israel. Last week, dockworkers in the city of Ravenna refused entry to trucks said to be carrying arms destined for Israel.

The unions criticized the “inertia of the Italian and EU governments”, demanded the Italian government to suspend commercial and military cooperation agreements with Israel, and to protect the Flotilla.

Dozens of thousands were present in the mobilizations in Rome. Some more dozens of thousands attended the mobilizations in Naples, Florence, Bologna, Ravenna, Palermo, Turin, Bari, etc. Protesters halted traffic in several points of the country, as they blockaded the highways around Rome, Bologna, Naples and Florence among others. Anti-Imperialist League (AIL) flags were seen in several Italian cities along with Per la Democrazia Popolare’s flags.

In Milan more than 50,000 protesters attended the mobilizations. Fierce clashes erupted between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and police. At least 60 officers were injured, 23 of whom were hospitalized, according to police reports.

The ports of Genoa and Livorno were blockaded by dockworkers. Union activists emphasized that their aim is to prevent Italian ports from being used to transport weapons or military equipment destined for Israel.