By Jamie Green
Last Monday, hundreds of thousands of workers across key sectors of the Italian economy, in both the private and public sectors, came out on a 24-hour general strike in support of Gaza and against the Israeli genocide. In a joint statement released on September 16, the USB, (Unione Sindacale Di Base), along with CUB (Confederazione Unitaria di Base), ADL (Associazone Diritti Lavoratori) and SGB (Sindacato Generale di Base) Unions announced that the action would take place.
Workers from trains, public transport services, schools, universities and ports walked out in solidarity with the people of Gaza, offering “unconditional support for the Global Sumud Flotilla mission” which has been subjected to drone attacks while carrying aid to Gaza (See Wanted in Rome, 2025).
“Israel is currently attempting a “final solution” in Gaza, carrying out a decades-long genocide. In solidarity with the Palestinian people and the mission of the Global Sumud Flotilla, and against the war economy, the USB has called for a full-day general strike on September 22nd: a necessary and urgent response to the escalating massacre of women, men, and children in Palestine.
“At the same time, we have sent a request to the Directors of the Revenue Agency and Customs and Monopolies to sever all commercial and non-commercial relations with Israel, particularly contracts related to cybersecurity and the purchase of technology.
“We believe this action to be necessary and urgent as a concrete form of solidarity with the horrors being perpetrated in the Palestinian territories.” Statement issued by USB – ‘September 22nd All-day GENERAL STRIKE against the genocide in Palestine and in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla mission’
Workers demand an end to trade and arms for Israel
Over 80 cities (Genoa, Salerno, Rome, Milan and others) across Italy saw demonstrations, rallies and blockades, with tens of thousands of workers and youth out in the streets to protest against Italy’s complicity with Gaza. They demanded that ties and arm sales to Israel be cut, and an end to the ongoing genocide.
Dockworkers in Genoa and Salerno have previously blocked arms shipments bound for Israel, calling for Italy to suspend all military and commercial ties. Last week, dockworkers in the Adriatic port of Ravenna blocked two trucks reportedly carrying weapons bound for Israel, with worker’s threatening to “shut down all of Europe” earlier in September as the Gaza Aid flotilla prepared for departure. This is a translation of one speech, from a dockworker:
“I want this to be clear to everyone — really to everyone: around mid-September these boats will arrive near the coast of Gaza, close to the critical zone. If we lose contact with our boats, with our comrades, even for just twenty minutes, we will block all of Europe.
“I’ve written it down so I won’t forget it. Together with our union, together with all the dockworkers who stand with us, together with the whole city of Genoa… from this region 13–14 thousand containers leave every year for Israel, not a single nail will leave anymore.
“We will launch an international strike, we will block the roads, we will block the schools, we will block everything. Our young women and men must come back without a scratch, and all this cargo, which belongs to the people and is going to the people, must reach its destination, down to the very last box. That’s all I have to say.”
An Italian state-owned TV channel, TG3 (TeleGiornale 3) released a statement expressing direct solidarity with the general strike and the people of Gaza, stating, “The journalists of TG3 share solidarity with today’s general strike — an outcry in support of the Palestinian population subjected to military occupation, a daily massacre of civilians, health workers, and journalists, and mass deportations carried out by the Israeli government…”
A state broadcaster that tells the truth
TG3 is the brand TV channel under RAI (Radiotelevisione italiana – Italy’s public broadcaster) which is state-owned and operated – with a government currently under control of right-wing populist party, Fratelli d’Italia (Fdl) ‘Brothers of Italy’, which has been rightfully described by many as the most ‘right-wing party see in Italy since Mussolini’. FdI has been historically been a supporter of Israel and Netanyahu.
Use of terms like “massacre” and “mass deportations” on air by a state-owned channel show a welcomed departure from official rhetoric used by the Italian government, which has otherwise blocked and watered down attempts to show solidarity to the people of Palestine and/or implement sanctions on Israel.
Italy, alongside the US, Germany and 34 other United Nations’ member states, do not currently recognise Palestine as a state. That figure is shifting further, with the recognition by Britain, Australia, Canada and France announced earlier this week. Four of the G7 nations, a majority, have now shifted to recognise Palestine as a state. It remains to be seen beyond words if this will lead to an end to arms trade with Israel and bring an end to the ongoing genocide.
Since Monday’s day of action, Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni has released a statement, denouncing “hooliganism”, placing conditions on the recognition of Palestine, “only if all Israeli hostages are released and the Hamas Militant group excluded from any government roles”.
This comes after comments made by the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani last week, while addressing the Italian Senate, stating that Italy would apply “EU sanctions against violent Israeli settlers and Israeli ministers who have made “unacceptable” comments on Gaza and the West Bank, and was open to considering trade sanctions” (Ynetnews, 2025). (Tajani, a supposed ‘anti-fascist’, will be remembered for comments made in 2019 about the ‘positive things’ Mussolini did for Italy).
The general strike and demonstrations across Italy come at a time when Netanyahu and Israeli miliary officials have affirmed a policy of continuation of the violence and destruction in Gaza. One reserve officer said in a recent Haaretz article, “We’ll continue working there using the ‘crush and conquer method’, but there’s no reason to assume we’ll get different results”
He acknowledged that the war is “dragging on” and is now offering what economists describe as “diminishing returns”. As of September 17, over 68,000 people (66,054 Palestinians and 1,983 Israelis have been killed – the big majority of the former being women and children and other non-combatants.
Tens of thousands of Palestinian hostages taken
Both in Gaza and in the West Bank, at least 10,000 Palestinians have been detained, mostly arbitrarily without due process, and they are being held in appalling conditions, with inmates, including doctors and patients, being starved, tortured or raped.
Donald Trump, speaking at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, called for the war in Gaza to “stop immediately”, while, predictably, accusing countries who recognise Palestine of giving a reward to Hamas. It is possible that Trump and his allies, who, like the Israeli government, are invested in the clearance of Gaza for “waterfront properties”, may retaliate to the recognition of Palestine by recognising illegal Israeli West Bank settlements.
Despite the sustained backing of support from right-wing governments like the United States and Italy, Israel experience a growth of dissent internally, and isolation externally. As a previous article in Left Horizons wrote, “Sooner or later something has to give”.
[Feature picture from Wikimedia Commons, here. It shows students as part of the protest on September 22 in Ancona]
