Across Italy, thousands of citizens, students, and workers joined nationwide demonstrations and strikes on Monday to condemn Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and demand concrete sanctions against the Israeli regime.

The wave of protests swept through Rome, Milan, Turin, Florence, Naples, Bari, Palermo, and Italy’s major port cities, reflecting the country’s growing public outrage at the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

In Rome, hundreds of high school students rallied outside Termini Station waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine.” The capital also faced significant transport disruptions as bus and metro workers joined the strike.

In Milan, university students and activists staged a march through the city center, while in Naples, protesters projected images of Gaza’s devastation onto public buildings to confront Italians with the scale of destruction.

Meanwhile, in Genoa and Livorno, dock workers escalated the movement by blocking port operations, halting shipments in a symbolic move against Israel’s military campaign. Italian media reported that the disruption highlighted the growing alignment of labor unions with the Palestinian cause.

The Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL), the country’s largest trade union, openly endorsed the strike, demanding a ceasefire and sanctions to force Israel into compliance with international law.

The demonstrations came just hours after fresh Israeli strikes killed at least 17 Palestinians on September 23 alone, including 15 in Gaza City. Activists underscored that such massacres exemplify the genocide identified in the International Court of Justice’s January 2024 ruling, which declared it “plausible” that Israel’s actions violate the Genocide Convention.

Protest organizers also cited Israel’s ongoing blockade, which has restricted humanitarian aid to an average of only 57 trucks per day in early 2024, and the destruction of over two-thirds of Gaza’s infrastructure. These, they argued, were not just acts of war but evidence of a deliberate attempt to erase Gaza.

A recent poll by the Only Numbers Institute revealed strong Italian support for Palestine, with 63.8% of respondents describing Gaza’s humanitarian situation as “very serious” and over 40% backing recognition of a Palestinian state.

Despite this, progress in parliament has been slow. In July 2025, lawmakers debated but failed to pass a motion to formally recognize Palestine, frustrating activists who accuse the government of stalling.

“The world cannot stand by while Gaza burns,” said a spokesperson for the Italian Network for Peace and Disarmament at the Turin rally. “Sanctions and recognition are the minimum steps toward justice.”

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has not issued a direct response to Monday’s nationwide protests. However, her government is facing growing calls to suspend arms sales to Israel and support an international ceasefire initiative.

Italy’s presence at the UN High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine on September 23, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Palestine a “global issue,” reflects mounting diplomatic attention.

Grassroots organizations vowed to escalate their campaigns with further strikes and demonstrations, aligning with global solidarity actions. As Italy’s labor, student, and activist movements unite behind Palestine, pressure is mounting on the government to take a firm stance against Israel’s genocidal war. (ILKHA)