Tens of thousands of Italians took to the streets across the country on Friday, as part of a day-long general strike called by unions in support of an aid flotilla carrying food to Gaza that was intercepted by Israel this week.
"After what I saw with the flotilla, I thought I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. It's the first time I go to these kind of demonstrations," Mario Mascetti, a protester in Rome, told Reuters.
The CGIL trade union planned demonstrations in more than a 100 cities. In the capital, crowds marched from the central Piazza Vittorio towards the main train station, holding union and Palestinian flags, as well as banners.
The strike caused delays and cancellations across Italy's rail network, with more limited disruptions at airports.
Metro lines continued operating in both Rome and Milan.
"This is not just any strike. We're here today to defend brotherhood among individuals, among peoples, to put humanity back at the centre, to say no to genocide, to a policy of rearmament," CGIL leader Maurizio Landini said.
Israel has called the aid flotilla a stunt and offered to take aid on the boats into Gaza. It has consistently denied allegations of genocide.
Italy's right-wing government has criticised the strike, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people skipping work for Gaza was just an excuse to have a longer weekend break.
Protests in solidarity with the humanitarian convoy that was trying to break Israel's naval blockade have sprung up all over Europe and other parts of the world, but have been particularly widespread in Italy.
Mattia Diletti, a sociologist at Rome's Sapienza University, said the Palestinian cause had resonated strongly, both amongst its majority-Catholic population and the left.
"Italy has always been a very political country, characterised by this element," he said.
The national strike watchdog said on Thursday unions had broken rules by not giving enough advance notice for the strike.
Pro-Palestinian protests were due to continue on Saturday, with a mass rally in Rome, capping off several days of demonstrations that have sometimes turned violent, with confrontations with police.
On Thursday night, tens of thousands of people marched peacefully from Rome's Colosseum, while in Turin a conference centre was vandalised and in Milan a statue outside the Duomo cathedral was daubed with red paint and graffiti.
The legal team of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi plans to meet the detained former leader this weekend after sh...
A senior U.S. administration official says a ceasefire agreed with Iran in early April has effectively ended hostilities for an imminent congressio...
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phas...
The final day of the Youth Forum on United Nations Global Goals 2026 in Istanbul focused on innovation, cooperation and global impact, with young p...
The federal agent injured in the attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was not hit by friendly fire, U.S. President Dona...
The legal team of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi plans to meet the detained former leader this weekend after she was transferred to house arrest in the capital by the military-backed government, a representative said on Friday.
Azerbaijan’s golden double at the 2026 European Wrestling Championship in Tirana, Albania brought “joy” to the entire country, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev told the victorious athletes at a reception on Thursday (30 April).
China has passed a new law aimed at ensuring its most vulnerable citizens are not left without support.
Tashkent hosted the INMerge Innovation Summit Roadshow, bringing together start-ups, investors and technology leaders to explore the future of Central Asia’s digital economy and regional cooperation.
A report published by Minval Politika has raised new questions over alleged efforts by Luis Moreno Ocampo to shape international pressure against Azerbaijan and influence political dynamics around Armenia.
A Pentagon official provided the first official estimate of the cost of the U.S. war in Iran on Wednesday (29 April), telling lawmakers that $25 billion had so far been spent on the conflict, most of it on munitions. Earlier, Donald Trump said that the U.S. had "militarily defeated" Tehran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phase” for the Strait of Hormuz, while a senior adviser said U.S. blockade efforts would fail and could trigger confrontation.
Shares in Meta Platforms fell sharply in extended trading on Wednesday after the tech giant raised its annual capital spending forecast by billions of dollars.
The decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC+ on 1 May has put renewed focus on one of the most influential groups in global energy - and how its decisions can shape oil prices worldwide.
The legal team of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi plans to meet the detained former leader this weekend after she was transferred to house arrest in the capital by the military-backed government, a representative said on Friday.
The federal agent injured in the attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was not hit by friendly fire, U.S. President Donald Trump and the Secret Service Director said on Thursday (30 April).
The United States imposed sanctions on former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila on Thursday, accusing him of supporting Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and fuelling political instability in the country’s troubled east.
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla began wrapping up their four-day state visit to the U.S. with a very quick stop at the White House to bid farewell to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, having already charmed him at a formal dinner two days prior.
China has passed a new law aimed at ensuring its most vulnerable citizens are not left without support.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment