Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Italy in a nationwide day of action denouncing what organisers called the “genocide in Gaza.” Demonstrations included strikes, blockades and marches, with clashes breaking out between protesters and police in Milan.
The protests coincided with moves at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where France and several other nations prepared to formally recognise a Palestinian state, following similar steps by the UK, Australia and Canada earlier this week.
Italy’s right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has so far refused to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Demonstrations Across the Country
In Rome, police estimated around 20,000 people rallied outside the main Termini train station, many of them students carrying Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine.” Others marched past the Colosseum, leading with a banner declaring: “Against genocide. Let’s block everything.”
Michelangelo, a 17-year-old demonstrator, told AFP he attended to support “a population that is being exterminated.” Francesca Tecchia, 18, said it was her first protest, adding: “What is happening in Gaza is too important to ignore.”
Federica Casino, 52, joined the rally in solidarity with Gaza’s “dead children and destroyed hospitals.” She said: “Italy must come to a standstill today. Italy talks but does nothing.”
In Milan, organisers claimed 50,000 protesters joined marches, some of which descended into violence. Demonstrators burned a US flag, while riot police used tear gas after projectiles were thrown and windows smashed at the city’s central station. In Bologna, over 10,000 gathered, with police deploying water cannons to disperse a group blocking a motorway.
Other cities including Turin, Florence, Naples and several in Sicily also saw large turnouts. Dock workers in Genoa and Livorno blockaded ports, while the USB union organised a 24-hour national strike. Public transport in Rome was disrupted, and train operators across the country reported delays and cancellations.
Government Response
Prime Minister Meloni condemned the scenes in Milan, describing them as acts of “violence and destruction that have nothing to do with solidarity.”
She warned that such protests “will not change the lives of people in Gaza by a fraction, but will have real consequences for Italian citizens who will end up paying for the damage caused by these hooligans.”
Her government remains a staunch supporter of Israel in Europe and has resisted calls to impose EU trade sanctions. It also insists no Italian weapons have been sold to Israel since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
By contrast, Gaza’s health authorities say more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in nearly two years of conflict, most of them civilians, while famine has spread and large areas of the territory have been destroyed.
Public Opinion Shifting
Despite the government’s position, Italian public opinion appears increasingly supportive of Palestinian recognition. A survey by Only Numbers, published in La Stampa, found nearly 64% of Italians consider the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “very serious,” and 41% favour Italy recognising a Palestinian state.
