Across southern Europe this October, a wave of unprecedented labor action has swept through city squares and workplaces, as millions of people in Italy and Greece took to the streets in solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people. The scale and fervor of these demonstrations—rooted in outrage over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza and a growing sense of shared struggle—have marked a turning point for labor and social movements in both countries.
On October 3, 2025, more than 2 million Italians participated in a one-day general strike, according to reporting from ScheerPost. The strike was called by the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL), the country’s largest labor union, and several grassroots unions. Workers, students, families, and a diverse array of secular and religious associations all joined in, filling public squares in more than 100 cities. The action was part of a week of protest that began when the Israeli navy intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla—a convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, which included 40 Italian volunteers, among them four legislators and several union members.
The flotilla’s blockade and the arrest of its passengers by Israeli forces triggered immediate outrage. On October 2, crowds gathered in front of Rome’s Colosseum and outside government buildings across the country. The following day, the CGIL declared a general strike “in defense of the Global Sumud Flotilla, constitutional values, to stop the genocide, and in support of the people of Gaza.”
According to CGIL, the turnout was extraordinary: 300,000 marched in Rome alone, while Milan, Bologna, Florence, and Turin each saw crowds of around 100,000. Major cities from Naples to Genoa, Palermo to Venice, all witnessed massive demonstrations. In total, more than 100 cities participated, making it one of the largest coordinated labor actions in recent Italian history. The atmosphere, as described by participants and organizers, was both peaceful and democratic.
CGIL General Secretary Maurizio Landini highlighted the unique energy of the day, stating, “the extraordinary and unprecedented participation of young people, who are demanding a future of peace and social justice, with stable employment and a fight against precarious employment.” The strike was not a one-off event: it followed a national strike on September 16, called after the Israeli government announced its final invasion of Gaza City, and another general strike on September 22, led by the grassroots union USB. In both cases, participation was massive, with the September 22 action notably involving schools and tens of thousands of students from middle school to college.
In the days that followed, the momentum only grew. On October 4, about one million people flooded Rome’s city center, chanting “Free Palestine.” Organized by the Palestinian Student Movement, the Palestinian Arab Democratic Union, CGIL, USB, student and university groups, the National Association of Partisans, and Arci, the demonstration was a vivid display of unity across generations and political backgrounds. One sign, quoted by Labor Notes, captured the mood: “We wanted to liberate Palestine, and instead Palestine is liberating us.”
The protests were not only about Gaza. Many participants drew a direct line between the war in Palestine and broader political and social struggles in Italy and Europe. As governments across the continent, including Italy’s right-wing administration led by Giorgia Meloni, have ramped up military spending and adopted more authoritarian stances, labor leaders and activists have warned that these policies come at the expense of workers and social rights. The CGIL and other unions have even threatened a “political strike” in defense of the Italian Constitution—whose Article 11 repudiates war—if the Global Sumud Flotilla was attacked by Israeli armed forces.
Meanwhile, the CGIL has announced a new national demonstration, “Democracy at Work,” to be held in Rome on October 25. The event aims to rally opposition to rearmament and genocide, and to advocate for peace, social justice, and the rights of workers, young people, and pensioners.
The reverberations of Italy’s mass mobilization were felt far beyond its borders. In Greece, tens of thousands of workers staged their own general strike for Palestine on Friday, October 10, the very day a fragile ceasefire took effect in Gaza. According to Socialist Worker, the Greek strike was directly inspired by the Italian example. Panos Garganas, a labor activist in Athens, described the mood: “People were asking, ‘Why don’t we do it like the Italians?’—today was a step in that direction.”
The Greek strike was initiated by Palestinian and anti-war organizations but quickly gained traction among trade unionists, workers, and students. Health workers in Athens hospitals were the first to call for action, organizing workplace meetings and voting to strike. Their success sparked a domino effect, with teachers and local unions following suit and eventually forcing the national union to back a nationwide strike.
Support for Palestine in Greece has surged over the past two years, evolving from demonstrations to a full-fledged strike movement. The Greek government’s support for Israel—particularly its provision of naval and aerial military assistance, including the use of a military base at Souda Bay on Crete—has become a flashpoint for protesters. As Panos Garganas put it, “We are demanding that the Greek government stop supporting Israel. It has given very active and persistent support to the Israeli government.”
Earlier in the week, hundreds gathered at Athens’ Eleftherios Venizelos Airport to welcome activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla who had been detained by Israeli authorities. The event, according to Garganas, “set the mood” for the mass action that followed. The strike also tapped into broader discontent: just days earlier, on October 1, Greek workers had staged a massive walkout against a government proposal for a 13-hour working day. Another general strike is planned for October 14, with union leaders saying that the movement for Palestine has given it even more momentum.
Solidarity between workers in Italy, Greece, and Spain has become a rallying cry. As one Italian striker told their Greek counterparts, “The hand that bombs the Palestinians, is the hand that exploits us in our workplaces.” Calls for greater coordination between southern European labor movements are growing, with activists seeing the current moment as an opportunity to challenge not just foreign policy, but the economic and political structures that underpin it.
The Italian and Greek strikes for Gaza have not only highlighted the depth of public outrage over the war, but also the power of grassroots organizing to unite disparate groups around a shared cause. As the demonstrations continue, organizers are hopeful that their message—of peace, justice, and international solidarity—will resonate far beyond the Mediterranean.
