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.
Iran has ruled out direct talks with senior U.S. envoys in the Gulf, saying any contact will take place through Qatari mediators. Meanwhile, Steve Wit...
Children are adopting artificial intelligence at an unprecedented rate but safeguards designed to keep them safe are failing to keep pace, UNICEF has...
Pakistan's military said on Wednesday it intercepted and destroyed four drones launched from Afghanistan into Balochistan, days after Islamabad carrie...
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks in Ankara on Tuesday with several senior European Union officials as diplomatic engagement between ...
A U.S. federal judge has rejected Meta Platforms’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit brought by 29 state attorneys general, clearing the way for claims th...
Iran has ruled out direct talks with senior U.S. envoys in the Gulf, saying any contact will take place through Qatari mediators. Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have met in Doha with Qatar's PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
Children are adopting artificial intelligence at an unprecedented rate but safeguards designed to keep them safe are failing to keep pace, UNICEF has warned, saying a generation is effectively growing up inside a global experiment.
Pakistan's military said on Wednesday it intercepted and destroyed four drones launched from Afghanistan into Balochistan, days after Islamabad carried out cross-border strikes against what it described as militant hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, further escalating tensions between the neighbours.
A U.S. federal judge has rejected Meta Platforms’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit brought by 29 state attorneys general, clearing the way for claims that the company designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and concealed risks from the public.
Iranian and U.S. negotiating teams were due in Doha this week, but Iran said on Monday no meeting had been scheduled as weekend missile fire from both sides tested the interim ceasefire to end the four-month-old war.
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to 'stand down' and resume technical talks, allowing vessels allowed to move freely under the interim peace deal, a U.S. official said.
Mexico ended their 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout win, while Erling Haaland sent Norway through and Kylian Mbappé fired France into the last 16.
Six adults were killed in a shooting at a youth welfare facility in northern Germany on Monday, with police detaining two people, including the suspected gunman.
Morocco held their nerve to beat the Netherlands on penalties after a dramatic late equaliser, Gabriel Martinelli spared Brazil's blushes with a stoppage-time winner against Japan, while Paraguay stunned Germany in the tournament's biggest shock to reach the World Cup last 16.
The latest AnewZ investigative documentary examines how Emmanuel Macron’s promise to break with France’s old political habits collided with diplomatic setbacks in Africa and legal fallout surrounding figures once close to the Élysée.
Children are adopting artificial intelligence at an unprecedented rate but safeguards designed to keep them safe are failing to keep pace, UNICEF has warned, saying a generation is effectively growing up inside a global experiment.
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks in Ankara on Tuesday with several senior European Union officials as diplomatic engagement between Türkiye and the bloc continues ahead of next week's NATO summit.
A U.S. federal judge has rejected Meta Platforms’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit brought by 29 state attorneys general, clearing the way for claims that the company designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and concealed risks from the public.
Anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland has increased since early 2025, with many Ukrainians reporting growing hostility in public spaces, workplaces and schools, according to a report published on Tuesday by Polish NGO Instytut Krytyki Politycznej.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment