September 2025 Italian general strike for Gaza

General strike for Gaza
September 2025 Italian general strike Part of the Gaza war protests
Giovani Comunisti/e (Young Communists) at the general strike for Gaza in Ancona, Marche
Date	22 September 2025
Location	over 75 municipalities across Italy, [1] [2] San Marino and Ticino, Switzerland
Caused by	Gaza genocide, famine and Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip
Goals	Stop arms shipments from Italian ports to Israel
Methods	Strike actions
Parties
USB CUB SGB ADL Collettivo San Marino per la Palestina Coordinamento Unitario a Sostegno della Palestina Government of Italy Government of Switzerland
Lead figures
Collective leadership Giorgia Meloni Matteo Piantedosi Ignazio Cassis
Number
at least 100,000 [2]
Casualties
Injuries	at least 60 (in Milan)
Arrested	at least 18 (in Milan and Bologna)

On 22 September 2025, a 24-hour general strike called by grassroots unions Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), Confederazione Unitaria di Base  [ it ] (CUB), Sindacato Generale di Base (SGB) and ADL was held across Italy to protest the country's complicity in the Gaza genocide amid the Gaza war, ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]} and saw the participation of tens of thousands of citizens. ^{[1] [2]} Protests also took place in San Marino ^[8] and Bellinzona, Ticino, Switzerland. ^{[9] [10]}

Background and goals

Strike at the port of Ancona, 19 September 2025

The strike, marked by the slogan Blocchiamo tutto ("Let's Block Everything"), was aimed at implementing a nationwide block of ports, roads and workplaces to stop the shipments of arms and supplies to Israel, denouncing its mass killings and blockade of the Gaza Strip, as well as its attempts to thwart humanitarian efforts like the Global Sumud Flotilla. ^{[1] [4] [5] [6]} USB called for "the immediate break-off of relations with the terrorist state of Israel". ^[3] The protests followed a separate day of action called for 19 September by the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL), Italy's largest trade union. ^{[6] [7]}

Events

Violent clashes broke out between protesters and police forces, most notably in Milan, where the former smashed a window at the Centrale railway station and threw smoke bombs, bottles and stones, and the latter beat and fired tear gas and pepper spray at them. ^{[1] [4]} At least 10 people were arrested, 60 police were wounded, ^{[2] [4]} and the M4 metro line was shut down. ^{[2] [3]} Major clashes also occurred at the Napoli Centrale railway station in Naples, where protesters broke through a security deployment and reached the platforms. ^{[2] [11]} A protest at a highway in Bologna was dispersed by water cannon and smoke bombs, ^{[1] [4] [12]} with at least eight arrests, ^[12] while a separate group disrupted lectures at the University of Bologna. ^[3] Protesters in Rome gathered outside the Termini railway station, ^[5] forcing the cancellation of several services, ^{[2] [3]} and broke during lectures at Sapienza University, ^[2] while dockworkers in Genoa, La Spezia, Ravenna, Trieste, Venice and Livorno halted all arms transfers to Israel ^{[2] [4] [5] [6] [13]} and other protesters blocked the entrance to the ports. ^{[2] [3] [6]} Other major student and workers' actions took place in Turin, Palermo, Catania, Potenza, Bari, Lecce, Brindisi, Sassari, Cagliari, Bolzano, Pisa, Calenzano, Campi Bisenzio (the location of a Leonardo weapons factory), Brescia and Novara. ^[2]

Reactions

Italy

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the strike, calling protesters "hooligans" and claiming that clashing with the police and destroying private property would not help the people in Gaza; ^{[2] [4]} ministers Matteo Salvini and Matteo Piantedosi, and Senate chair Ignazio La Russa, joined her remarks. ^{[2] [12]} Media have highlighted the posture of the Meloni government as strictly pro-Israel during the war, with the cabinet ruling out any recognition of the State of Palestine in contrast with what numerous other European countries chose to do at the opening of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. ^{[1] [4] [6]} Replying to Meloni, opposition leader Elly Schlein stated her condemnation for the violence of "a few hundred protesters" while demanding that the government distance itself from "Netanyahu's crimes in Gaza and the West Bank". ^[2]

References

1. Kassam, Ashifa (22 September 2025). "Disruption across Italy as tens of thousands protest against Gaza war". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 September 2025.
2. "Cortei per Gaza, tensioni tra manifestanti e forze dell'ordine in tutta Italia". Rai News (in Italian). RAI. 22 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
3. "Strikes, marches across Italy for Gaza". ANSA. 22 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
4. Greco, Claudia; Uras, Anna (22 September 2025). "Pro-Palestinian protesters fight police in Milan, Italian ports blocked". Reuters . Retrieved 22 September 2025.
5. "Anti-Israel protesters rally across Italy after unions call to 'denounce the genocide in Gaza'". Times of Israel . 22 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
6. Blackburn, Gavin (22 September 2025). "Thousands strike across Italy in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, causing widespread disruption". Euronews . Retrieved 22 September 2025.
7. "Gaza strikes, stoppages on 19 and 22 September. Timetables and what to know". Il Sole 24 Ore . 18 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
8. Quadrelli, Valentina; Taddei, Francesca (22 September 2025). "Manifestazione per la Palestina a San Marino: :Non si può più stare in silenzio'" [Protest for Palestine in San Marino: "We can no longer remain silent"]. San Marino RTV . Retrieved 22 September 2025.
9. Molinaro, Marino (22 September 2025). "Strage a Gaza, corteo di protesta a Bellinzona" [Gaza massacre: Protest march in Bellinzona]. laRegione . Retrieved 22 September 2025.
10. "A Bellinzona una manifestazione rumorosa per la Palestina" [A noisy demonstration for Palestine in Bellinzona]. Corriere del Ticino (in Italian). 22 September 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
11. "Sciopero per Gaza, a Napoli manifestanti sfondano il blocco e occupano la stazione centrale: tensione con la polizia". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 22 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
12. "Sciopero pro Gaza, giornata di tensione. Quattro arresti, manifestanti pro pal davanti alla questura". TGR Emilia-Romagna (in Italian). RAI. 22 September 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
13. De Lorenzo, Daniela (19 September 2025). "Italian unions' general strike for Gaza will block ports and logistics" . Shippingwatch. Retrieved 22 September 2025.