ROME: Hundreds of thousands of people protested across Italy on Friday during a large-scale strike over the treatment of the Gaza aid flotilla and far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s cautious stance on the conflict.

Demonstrators condemned Rome’s criticism of the Global Sumud Flotilla that sailed to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

Many also demanded more from Meloni, who has faced criticism for not speaking out more strongly on the situation in Gaza or recognising the state of Palestine.

The CGIL, one of two unions to call the strike, said over two million people across Italy had taken to the streets in over 100 demonstrations.

Maurizio Landini, the union’s chief, noted “the extraordinary and unprecedented participation of young people, who are calling for a future of peace”.

Up and down the country, from Turin and Trento in the north to Bari and Palermo in the south, people gathered for marches and flash mobs, blocking highways or train tracks.

The strike saw trains cancelled or delayed, some schools closed, and even some prisoners downing tools.

At least 80,000 people marched in Rome according to police. Organisers put the number at 300,000.

‘Stop the War’

Among them was Giordano Fioramonti, 19, protesting along with other youngsters, university students, and professors.

“It’s also our civic duty to show how angry and unhappy we are with what is happening in the world, with our government, to show our support for the flotilla, especially for Palestine, for the people who are being killed, tortured and massacred,” Fioramonti said.

Over 80,000 people demonstrated in Milan, police said, with a sea of people clapping and waving the Palestinian flag as they made their way through the streets, carrying a massive banner reading: “Free Palestine, Stop the War Machine.”

Police set off smoke bombs to stop several hundred protesters who had broken off from the main march to occupy a ring road in Milan, television images showed.

Organisers said 50,000 people were marching in Turin and 40,000 in Genoa, while 10,000 protesters were blocking the port of Naples.

Commercial traffic was blocked at the port of Livorno, local media reported, and images in Bologna showed protesters marching down a section of the motorway that circles the city.

Meloni brands flotilla ‘dangerous’

Italy’s foreign ministry announced that Israel had released four Italian parliamentarians out of the 40 Italians detained.

“The flotilla was trying to do what European governments and the European Union should be doing, namely breaking this blockade of humanitarian aid that is causing a real famine in Gaza,” said Elly Schlein, head of the Democratic Party.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2025