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.
President Emeritus of the European Council Charles Michel has said he is “confident” in the progress of peace efforts between Azerbaijan and Armen...
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met King Charles III at Windsor Castle on 24 October, ahead of a series of talks in London with European lead...
Uzbekistan and the European Union (EU) are set to sign a new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), marking a major step in bilateral ...
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said the United States and others must do more to push Israel to stop violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement, includ...
American media personality Kim Kardashian said she had been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday....
President Emeritus of the European Council Charles Michel has said he is “confident” in the progress of peace efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia, calling for a sustainable framework to support regional cooperation.
Uzbekistan and the European Union (EU) are set to sign a new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), marking a major step in bilateral relations and placing Uzbekistan among the EU’s closest partners in Central Asia.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said the United States and others must do more to push Israel to stop violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including the possible use of sanctions or halting arms sales.
American media personality Kim Kardashian said she had been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met King Charles III at Windsor Castle on 24 October, ahead of a series of talks in London with European leaders about continued military support and Ukraine’s peace efforts amid the ongoing war with Russia.
Uzbekistan and the European Union (EU) are set to sign a new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), marking a major step in bilateral relations and placing Uzbekistan among the EU’s closest partners in Central Asia.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said the United States and others must do more to push Israel to stop violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including the possible use of sanctions or halting arms sales.
Southeast Asian leaders and global partners, including U.S. President Donald Trump, will gather in Kuala Lumpur from 26 to 28 October to discuss trade, regional conflicts and global security, with East Timor set to join ASEAN as its 11th member.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 23 October, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment