On October 3, 2025, Italy found itself at a near standstill. Trains, buses, planes, and even the nation’s bustling ports slowed to a crawl or ground to a halt as hundreds of thousands of workers staged a nationwide general strike. The cause? A wave of outrage sparked by Israel’s recent interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international aid convoy carrying humanitarian supplies—and, crucially, dozens of Italian citizens—on a mission to break the blockade of Gaza.
At the heart of this unprecedented Italian labor action were two of the country’s largest unions, the Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL) and the grassroots Unione Sindicale di Base (USB). As reported by Niccolo Barca for The Nation, these unions had long pledged to “block everything” should the flotilla come under attack. When news broke that the Israeli navy had intercepted the vessels, detained activists, and transferred them to the port of Ashdod, the unions made good on their promise—setting off a chain reaction of walkouts, protests, and travel chaos from Milan to Naples.
The Israeli foreign ministry declared the flotilla’s “provocation” over after intercepting all but one vessel, which it promised to stop if it neared the coast. According to AP, approximately 450 activists were arrested, including high-profile figures such as Greta Thunberg. Among the detained were 40 Italian nationals, including two members of the Italian parliament and two members of the European parliament. Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, confirmed their detention and assured the public, “We will do everything we can to ensure these people can return to Italy as soon as possible.”
But the government’s reassurances did little to quell public anger. In a statement, CGIL declared, “The aggression against civilian ships carrying Italian citizens is an extremely serious matter. It is not only a crime against defenceless people, but it is also serious that the Italian government has abandoned Italian workers in open international waters, violating our constitutional principles.” USB echoed this sentiment, calling for mobilizations “in all squares” and urging Italians to take to the streets in solidarity with Gaza.
The scale of the response was staggering. In Rome, police braced for up to 70,000 demonstrators to march from Termini train station to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation. In Naples, protesters burst into the main railway station, blocked tracks, and waved Palestinian flags. Bologna saw students clash with police outside the university. Meanwhile, Genoa’s dockworkers—who have a storied history of international solidarity—vowed to block all Israeli-linked shipments, echoing their previous actions against arms shipments for the Saudi war in Yemen.
“We could not remain silent any more. We could not just keep doing our job with indifference,” said Cristiano, a dock worker in Livorno, to Middle East Eye. He explained that workers across Livorno, La Spezia, Venice, Ravenna, Salerno, and Taranto had refused to unload Israeli-flagged ships, forcing some to change course or switch off their transponders. “At this crucial moment, we will do everything in our power to block any ship connected with Israel from docking at our ports,” he added, noting that the action extended even to non-military cargo.
The protests were not limited to the labor sector. Tens of thousands of ordinary Italians joined the demonstrations, many for the first time. “Normal people are starting to participate, they are very angry about what is happening in Gaza, and angry with their government for not doing more to help,” said Francesco Staccioli of USB’s confederal executive. He estimated that around half of Italian workers participated in the October 3 strike, a figure that dwarfed previous mobilizations.
Italy’s government, however, viewed the strike with skepticism and frustration. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused the unions of exploiting the flotilla incident for political purposes. “I continue to believe that all this brings no benefit to the Palestinian people,” she told reporters at a European Union meeting in Denmark. She also lamented the timing, remarking, “I would have expected … they would not have called a general strike on a Friday, because a long weekend and revolution don’t go together.” Transport Minister Matteo Salvini was even more blunt, threatening legal action: “We will not allow the CGIL and left-wing extremists to bring chaos to Italy. We will not tolerate any sudden general strike,” he wrote on X.
Italian authorities declared the strike unlawful due to the lack of a legally mandated 10-day notice. But union leaders insisted the urgency of the situation—especially with Italian citizens detained abroad—justified the extraordinary measures. “We didn’t respect the notice period as this is too urgent,” Staccioli explained, emphasizing that CGIL’s decision to join the action was unprecedented.
The disruption was felt nationwide. Milan’s Malpensa airport and Genoa’s port, two of Europe’s busiest transport hubs, reported significant delays and closures. National rail services, including Trenitalia and Italo, warned of widespread interruptions, while metro operators in Milan and Rome advised passengers to expect delays throughout the day. Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC, guaranteed flights only during specific windows—between 7 am and 10 am, and 6 pm and 9 pm—leaving travelers scrambling to adjust their plans. Even outside these hours, services to Sicily, Sardinia, and smaller islands were protected, but elsewhere, cancellations and delays were the norm.
And the unrest shows no signs of abating. According to the Italian transport ministry, 40 more strikes are planned between October and the end of the year, affecting airports in Rome, Pisa, Florence, and Milan. Another massive demonstration was scheduled in Rome for October 4, with thousands expected to participate.
The Italian mobilizations are part of a broader international response to Israel’s actions. Protests in solidarity with the flotilla erupted not just in Italy, but also in Spain, Colombia, Argentina, and beyond. The British foreign office called for the flotilla’s aid to be delivered safely to Gaza through humanitarian organizations, while a spokesperson for the Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the interception as a violation of international law.
Despite the crackdown, activists remain undeterred. Many have vowed to attempt another flotilla, insisting that their efforts to break the blockade and deliver aid to Gaza will continue. As one Palestinian captain told AP, “The story of oppressed people is being written by activists who refuse to be silent.”
As Italy’s strikes ripple through its economy and society, the message from the streets is clear: for many, indifference is no longer an option. The events of October 2025 have marked a turning point, both for Italy’s labor movement and for the global campaign to end the blockade of Gaza.
