London – Zaytoun News
Many Italian cities witnessed large demonstrations and strikes on Monday, in response to a call from trade unions to denounce the genocide in Gaza and to demand economic and diplomatic sanctions on Israel.
This mobilization comes at a time when several European and Western countries among them France, Britain, Australia, and Canada، have recognized the State of Palestine at the United Nations, while Italy is still studying the issue.
The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a hardline conservative ideologically close to U.S. President Donald Trump, has taken a cautious stance on the war in Gaza, despite repeatedly expressing “concern” over Israeli attacks.
The government has stated that it does not wish to recognize the State of Palestine “at this time,” and remains reluctant to accept the trade sanctions proposed by the European Union.
In Rome, hundreds of high school students gathered in front of Termini Station, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine.”
Protests also broke out in Milan and Turin (north), Florence (center), and Naples, Bari, and Palermo (south).
In Genoa and Livorno (north-central), dock workers blocked port docks, according to Italian news agencies.
In Rome, many buses stopped running, and metro service was disrupted.
