Highlights
- Over two million people joined nationwide protests in solidarity with Gaza.
- Demonstrations erupted after Israel intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla.
- Italy faces transport shutdowns and large-scale strikes across major cities.
- Rome braces for even larger rallies on Saturday.
- Protesters demand Italy’s unconditional recognition of Palestine and sanctions on Israel.
Nationwide Strike Brings Italy to a Standstill
A massive wave of protests swept across Italy on Friday, as more than two million people joined a general strike in support of Gaza. The demonstrations were sparked by Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy carrying humanitarian aid and 40 Italians attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
According to Italy’s largest trade union, CGIL, the strike aimed to defend the flotilla and “stop the genocide.” Public and private sectors were both affected, halting trains, flights, buses, and even schools across the country.
Major Cities Witness Unprecedented Turnout
Police reported that over 80,000 people marched in Milan, waving Palestinian flags and carrying a massive banner reading: “Free Palestine, Stop the War Machine.”
CGIL leader Maurizio Landini said,
“This is not just any strike. We’re here today to defend brotherhood among peoples, to say no to genocide, to a policy of rearmament.”
Protests also blocked highways near Pisa, Bologna, Milan, and Pescara, while demonstrators closed off access to the port of Livorno.
লোকসান দিয়ে শুরু, কিন্তু লাভে ফেরা কেমন করে? জানুন কাস্টমার অ্যাকুইজিশনের রহস্য!
Rome Gears Up for Massive Rally
In Rome, hundreds of thousands gathered on Friday, with organizers expecting nearly one million participants on Saturday.
“Today, we were hundreds of thousands. Tomorrow for Palestine we must be a million,”
said Maya Issa, leader of the Palestinian Student Movement.
The march is set to start from Piazzale Ostiense in central Rome.
Government Under Pressure
Experts say the protests have put Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government in a difficult position.
Political analyst Andrea Dessi noted,
“The government has been caught off guard. People think Meloni’s support for a Palestinian state should have been unconditional.”
While Meloni said Italy would recognize Palestine if Hamas were excluded from governance and Israeli hostages freed, protesters rejected the conditions.
Italy’s foreign ministry confirmed that Israel had released four Italian parliamentarians detained from the flotilla, who were expected to return to Rome Friday night.
International Solidarity Spreads
Protests in support of the flotilla erupted worldwide—from Barcelona to Australia and South America.
In Barcelona, about 15,000 demonstrators marched, chanting “Gaza, you are not alone” and “Boycott Israel.”
Former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and Nelson Mandela’s grandson were among those detained by Israel.
According to flotilla organizers, Israeli naval forces “illegally intercepted all 42 vessels”, detaining over 470 participants, including 20 journalists from Al Jazeera, El País, and RAI.
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Israel Defends Its Actions
Israel’s military claimed the flotilla attempted to breach a “lawful maritime blockade.”
“During Yom Kippur, our navy foiled a large-scale incursion attempt by hundreds of individuals aboard 42 vessels,”
the army stated.
However, UN officials and rights groups have criticized the interception as illegal under international law.
Israeli Peace Activists Also Join In
In Israel itself, peace activists held sit-ins near Gaza, demanding that seized aid from the flotilla be allowed into the enclave.
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut reported from Amman that demonstrators said the siege on Gaza “must end,” and that aid should be delivered “by air, land, or sea.”
Currently, the intercepted flotilla vessels remain docked in Ashdod Port, just north of Gaza.
Source: DBC News
