(Professor Donatella Della Porta has written this analysis of the pro-Palestine

movements for Logos)

On September 22 2025 a 24 hour general strike was called by several grassroot unions in Italy to protests the complicity of the Italian government with the Israeli genocide in Gaza, support the effort of the Global Sumud Flottilla to bring humanitarian help to the starving population, and call for an end to the war economy. Up to 500,000 people mobilize in the street in 90 protest events all over the country under the slogan “Let’s block everything,” with several blockades and occupations of harbors, railway stations and high-ways in Rome, Milan, Turin, Genoa, Florence, Bologna. The main promoter of the initiative, the  Unione Sindacati di Base (USB, Union of grassroots unions) called for “the immediate break-off of relations with the terrorist state of Israel, which is the concrete way in which Italy can, and must, react to the genocide that is taking place”. Since then, protests have multiplied taking various forms.

On October 3 2025, a new general strikes is called against the Israeli genocide, this times by grassroots unions but also the CGIL  As two millions mobilized on the streets, marching, blocking harbours and railways stations, interrupting traffic and occupying schools and university, with a main slogan being “L’Italia lo sa da che parte stare, Palestina libera dal fiume al mare”, I addressed the questions of several journalists from all over Europe who wanted to know, why now? And, Why in Italy? I think, there are several reasons. First of all, the protest in solidarity with Palestine has been growing for two years, relying on a mix of old and new organizations and activists. The Summer has been intense with thousands acts of resistance and disobedience that allowed masses to mobilize and feel empowered through flash mobs and hunger strikes. But then there was a trigger, as the Global Sumud Flotilla represented a way to do something against a genocide that intensified in the most dishuman forms. The moral shock was catalysed as the dockers in Genova launched their proud and daring motto, “If they block the flotilla, we block everything”. The very form of the flotilla, bridging heroic commitment with a global participation, created a strong identification by workers and students, pacifists and feminists, the many diasporas and the racialised Italian citizens, firemen and progressive police persons but also prisoners, pupils and their teachers, the grassroots unions and the CGIL, the traditional Left and the new generations on the Left, religious and lay authorities. Especially, it was the Palestinians who encouraged with their example to resist and oppose one of the worst genocide in history. At the moment, it looks like an unstoppable tide.

The article continues here