In recent weeks, Italy has become the stage for a groundswell of worker-led activism in solidarity with Palestine, as a wave of strikes, port blockades, and public demonstrations sweeps across the country. The movement, which has gained momentum since a massive general strike on September 22, 2025, has not only disrupted daily life but also sent a clear message to the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: a significant segment of the Italian public stands firmly against what they perceive as complicity in Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The epicenter of this mobilization is Genoa, a city whose port has long been a nexus of labor activism. According to Peoples Dispatch, tens of thousands—among them more than 5,000 students from local universities and high schools—joined demonstrations in support of the general strike. The city was brought to a standstill as crowds poured into the port, echoing a wider Italian movement that has seen roughly 100 daily actions take place nationwide. Valerio Villanova of Potere al Popolo’s Genoa chapter described the day as one where "the marches alone brought the city to a halt," underscoring the capacity of organized workers to challenge prevailing political logics.
Following the strike, dockworkers and citizens in Genoa, Livorno, Ravenna, Taranto, and Trieste took further action by blocking ships suspected of carrying cargo to Israel. The grassroots trade union Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) declared, "In Genoa, Livorno, Ravenna, Taranto, and Trieste, we have blocked Israeli ships, making sure our labor is not used to load arms and death. We have chosen our side: resistance, justice, and freedom for the people of Palestine." This direct action was not limited to the docks. Student collectives such as OSA and Cambiare Rotta occupied school and university buildings in the lead-up to the strike, facing repression but refusing to back down. Their occupation efforts, combined with the dockworkers’ blockades, have kept the pressure on Meloni’s administration to reconsider its policies regarding Israel and Gaza.
As reported by Quds Press, the Italian government’s stance has only served to further galvanize activists. On October 1, the organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla—a fleet aiming to break the blockade of Gaza—revealed that Italy’s foreign ministry had informed them that the naval frigate escorting the flotilla would ask participants to turn back. In a pointed statement, the organisers said, "What Italy is doing is not protection but sabotage, and an attempt to undermine the mission, as it acts as a tool in the hands of Israel instead of safeguarding the volunteers." Despite the warning, flotilla participants asserted their resolve: "Participants stressed that they were fully aware of the risks and will not retreat from breaking the blockade."
Italy’s Ministry of Defence announced that the frigate would withdraw once the flotilla reaches 150 nautical miles (278 kilometres) from the Gaza shore, effectively leaving the activists to proceed unescorted. Prime Minister Meloni herself weighed in, urging the flotilla to halt its mission and warning, "Any other choice risks becoming a pretext for preventing peace, fuelling conflict and therefore affecting above all the people of Gaza." The flotilla, which includes more than 50 boats and hundreds of activists from around 45 countries—including 54 French nationals and 15 Belgians—remains undeterred in its objective to challenge the blockade.
The spirit of internationalism has been a defining feature of the Italian movement. On September 26-27, Genoa hosted an assembly convened by the dockworkers’ collective CALP, drawing port workers from Greece, France, the Netherlands, Slovenia, the United States, and other countries. According to Peoples Dispatch, participants drafted a declaration envisioning "ports of peace," pledging to resist complicity in genocide, the arms trade, and Europe’s rearmament. The inspiration of the September 22 strike was frequently cited, with Jamal Jaffreh of the Palestine New Federation of Trade Unions (PNFTU) remarking that the news of the Italian actions had reached Palestine as "an image of true solidarity: solidarity that is effective and impactful."
Meanwhile, the movement’s momentum shows no sign of abating. USB has characterized the current period as one of "permanent mobilization," with ongoing public assemblies monitoring the voyage of the Global Sumud Flotilla and preparing for future actions. A national Palestine solidarity demonstration is scheduled for Rome on October 4, 2025. To support these activities, USB has issued guides for striking in both public and private sectors and, together with CALP, is collecting solidarity funds to assist striking workers. Paolo Rimassa from USB Liguria region made the movement’s determination clear: "If someone thought we were tired or had given up, if they thought they could wear us down, they made an enormous mistake. Workers have chosen – clearly and without hesitation – to say no to what is happening in Palestine and to support our comrades on board the flotilla."
Notably, the General Confederation of Italian Workers (CGIL), one of Italy’s largest trade union confederations, has joined the USB initiative, pledging to back another general strike if the Global Sumud Flotilla is attacked or prevented from reaching Gaza. This growing alliance of labor organizations has given the movement a broader base and increased its leverage on the national stage.
The industrial unrest is not confined to the ports. As RailTech reported, Italy is bracing for a 24-hour nationwide rail strike beginning on the evening of October 2 and continuing through the night of October 3. Called by the small but vocal Si Cobas union, the strike falls under the general strike framework, compelling FS Group and private rail operators to prepare for significant disruption. This rail strike is just one of twelve transport walkouts planned for October, signaling a month of heightened labor action across the country, all linked to opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza.
For the Meloni government, the stakes are high. The convergence of worker activism, student protest, and international solidarity has created a formidable challenge for the administration, which now finds itself under mounting pressure both at home and abroad. The government’s attempts to deter the flotilla and quell domestic unrest have so far only intensified the resolve of those mobilized. As Rimassa put it, "No security decrees, no oversight commissions, and no anti-strike laws will stop us."
With the next major demonstration set for October 4 in Rome and the fate of the Global Sumud Flotilla hanging in the balance, Italy’s labor movement stands at a critical juncture. The outcome of these actions may well shape not only the country’s relationship with the conflict in Gaza but also the future of organized labor’s role in international solidarity campaigns.
In the coming days, all eyes will be on Italy’s ports, railways, and streets, as workers and activists continue to test the limits of collective action in pursuit of what they see as justice and peace for Palestine.
