Tens Of Thousands Of Italians Take To Protest Road Israeli Troops Intercept Flotilla Ships To Gaza

UNSPLASH/Stefan ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Tens of thousands of Italians took to the streets as part of a full-day mass strike called for by the union to support Global Sumud Flotilla, an aid fleet that brought food to Gaza intercepted by Israel.

"After what I saw with the fleet, I don't think I could just remain silent and do nothing. This is my first time participating in this kind of demonstration," Mario Mascetti, a protester in Rome, told Reuters.

CGIL unions are planning demonstrations in more than 100 cities.

In the capital, the masses marched from Piazza Vittrio in the city center to the main train station, carrying flags of the Palestinian union and flag, as well as banners.

The strike caused delays and cancellations across Italy's rail network, with more limited disruptions at airports. The metro lines continue to operate in Rome and Milan.

"This is not just an ordinary strike. We are here today to defend brotherhood between individuals, between nations, to restore humanity as a top priority, to reject genocide, and to policy of re-environment," said CGIL leader Maurizio Landini.

Israel calls the Flotilla aid fleet a hoax and offers to transport aid by ships to Gaza. Israel has consistently denied allegations of genocide.

Italy's far-right government criticized the mass strike, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saying people who were truant for Gaza were just an excuse to get a longer weekend off.

Protests in solidarity with humanitarian convoys trying to break through Israeli sea blockades have sprung up across Europe and other parts of the world, but particularly widespread in Italy.

Mattia Diletti, a sociologist at the University of Sapienza Rome, said the Palestinian struggle always resonates in Italy, both among its predominantly Catholic and left-handed residents.

"Italy has always been a very political country, characterized by this element," he said.

The national strike supervisory agency said on Thursday the union had violated the rules by not providing prior adequate notice for the strike.

Pro-Palestinian protests are scheduled to continue on Saturday, with massive demonstrations in Rome, ending several days of demonstrations that sometimes lead to violence, with confrontations with police.

On Thursday night, tens of thousands of people lined up peacefully from Roma's Shake, while in Turin, the conference center was vandalized and in Milan a statue outside Duomo Cathedral was crossed out with red paint and graffiti.