On September 2, 2025, the port city of Genoa, Italy, found itself at the epicenter of a mounting wave of European labor unrest and international solidarity, as dockworkers issued an extraordinary ultimatum: if communication with the latest humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza is lost, they will "shut down all of Europe" and block all shipments to Israel. The threat, delivered by a representative of the Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) at a torchlit procession attended by an estimated 40,000 people, marks a dramatic escalation in dockworker activism in support of Palestine and against Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza, according to Novara Media.
The USB, Italy’s largest grassroots union syndicate, has a history of direct action. But this time, the stakes are higher than ever. As the dockworker declared to the gathered crowd, “If we lose contact with our boats, with our comrades – even for just 20 minutes – we will shut down all of Europe.” He continued, emphasizing the seriousness of the commitment: “13,000-14,000 containers leave this region every year for Israel. Not a single nail will leave anymore.” The message was clear: the dockworkers are prepared to leverage their strategic position to halt trade and exert pressure on behalf of Gaza.
The immediate catalyst for this threat is the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail on August 31, 2025. This is the largest-ever naval mission seeking to break Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza. Around 20 vessels, representing at least 44 countries, comprise the flotilla. While most ships departed from Barcelona, some set out from Genoa, carrying not only humanitarian aid but also prominent international figures such as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. Novara Media contributor Kieran Andrieu is also on board, joining activists, journalists, and politicians united by a shared mission.
It’s not just the symbolism that’s significant. The Italian aid drive, organized by Music for Peace and Calp (a port workers’ collective affiliated with USB), initially aimed to gather 40 tonnes of supplies. The outpouring of support far surpassed expectations, with over 250 tonnes collected. The scale of the undertaking was matched by public enthusiasm—tens of thousands filled Genoa’s streets in a torchlit procession to mark the flotilla’s departure.
For many aboard, the dockworkers’ stance is profoundly moving. As Andrieu told Novara Media, “I feel as everyone else aboard the flotilla feels about the [dockworkers’] announcement: moved beyond words.” He added, “It’s been clear for a long time now that Israel still has the old power structures on its side, but the people of the world are for Gaza and for Palestine – and power structures without people always fall sooner or later.” The sense of global solidarity is palpable, with crowds in Barcelona and Genoa sending off the ships with hope and determination.
Yet the risks are real. Since 2010, all 38 attempts by the flotilla coalition to deliver aid by sea have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces. The most recent attempt in July 2025 ended with the interception of the vessel and the reported beating of Chris Smalls, co-founder of the Amazon Labor Union, by Israeli Defense Forces. The threat of violence and detention looms over every mission, underscoring the courage and commitment of those involved.
Dockworker activism in support of Gaza is not limited to Italy. In June and August 2025, USB members blocked ships carrying military equipment, chanting “not work for war.” Similar actions have unfolded across Europe and beyond: Greek, French, and Moroccan dockworkers have mobilized against what they call genocide in Gaza; in Sweden, the national deputy chair of the Dockworkers’ Union was dismissed after the union blockaded military cargo to Israel. In North America and South Africa, port blockades have also targeted Israeli ships. As Chris Smalls told Novara Media, “When the government fails, labour unions are supposed to be the shield for the working class.”
The context of these actions is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. According to a first-hand account published in Al Jazeera by Nour Elassy, a survivor recently evacuated from Gaza, the toll since October 7, 2023, is staggering: more than 63,000 Palestinians killed by official count, with scientific estimates suggesting the true number is in the hundreds of thousands. Over 70 percent of casualties are women and children. The majority of Gaza’s population survives on one meal a day—often just canned food, grass, or leaves. Hospitals in the north have been destroyed, children are undergoing amputations without anesthesia, and chronic illnesses go untreated due to a lack of medication. Aid trucks are blocked, water plants bombed, and more than two million people are displaced.
Elassy’s account is searing in its indictment of Western governments, particularly France, for what she describes as “curated grief, sanctioned empathy, and decorated silence.” She contrasts France’s passionate support for Ukraine with its muted, sometimes repressive, response to the Gaza crisis. “France mourns Ukraine loudly. Gaza, on the other hand, must be whispered,” she writes, describing the criminalization of the Palestinian flag and the banning of pro-Palestinian protests. Elassy’s journey from Gaza to Paris, facilitated by a United Nations-escorted evacuation organized by the French consulate, left her with nothing but the clothes on her back and her phone—a stark reminder of the personal cost of conflict and displacement.
International condemnation of Israel’s actions has grown, with United Nations experts, major human rights organizations, and legal scholars declaring the war in Gaza has crossed every red line of international law. Yet, as Elassy notes, European leaders “rush to condemn Hamas at every opportunity,” while often refusing to denounce the occupation that gave rise to it. The double standard is evident in the contrasting treatment of resistance movements in Ukraine and Gaza. “In Ukraine, Molotov cocktails are ‘heroism.’ In Gaza, stones are ‘terrorism,’” she observes, calling out what she sees as Western hypocrisy and racism.
Amid this backdrop, Belgium became the latest European country to announce steps toward recognizing a Palestinian state, 23 months into what many—including Belgian politicians—describe as genocide. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot stated that recognition would be conditional on the suppression of Hamas and the return of Israeli hostages, according to local media. The announcement followed months of protests, parliamentary debates, and mounting grassroots pressure. Yet, for many activists and progressive groups, the measures fall short. Peter Mertens, Secretary General of the Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB-PVDA), criticized the government for acting more to “restore peace within the government” than to end Palestinian suffering. “They are mainly aimed at saving the government, not the Palestinian people,” he said, while urging continued public mobilization and highlighting a major demonstration planned for September 7, 2025.
Despite these tentative steps, Belgium and the European Union have continued political and economic support for Israel, even as the humanitarian crisis deepens. The PTB-PVDA and allied groups have called for stronger action, including the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and a complete severing of economic ties.
As the Global Sumud Flotilla nears Gaza, the eyes of the world—and of Europe’s labor movement—are watching. The threat from Genoa’s dockworkers is not just about trade or logistics; it is a test of how far ordinary people, organized in solidarity, can go to confront what many see as an ongoing injustice. Whether the ships reach their destination or not, the message from Europe’s docks is clear: the struggle for Gaza is not isolated, and the pressure from below is only growing stronger.