The Gaza flotilla crisis is shaking Italy as the country's largest labor federation, CGIL, declared a nationwide strike on Friday in response to Israel's interception of a vessel carrying 22 Italian nationals bound for Gaza.
The announcement came hours after news broke late Wednesday night that the flotilla had been stopped, sparking mass demonstrations across Italy's major cities. Protests continued Thursday, culminating in demonstrators breaking into Turin-Caselle Airport.
CGIL said in a statement that "the armed assault on civilian ships carrying Italian citizens is a direct attack on their safety and security, not only a crime against defenseless people but a blow to the constitutional order itself." The smaller CUB labor union joined in, declaring its opposition to "the genocide in Gaza, the war and the militarization of society."
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini condemned the strike and threatened legal action. "If the arbitration committee rules the strike illegitimate, and anyone blocks roads, trains or other transport, they will face criminal consequences," he said. Salvini visited the railway network's operations center Thursday morning to monitor disruptions.
Thousands took to the streets of Rome, Milan, Bologna, Turin, Florence and Genoa, blocking train stations and roads. At the height of the protests, demonstrators stormed the runways of Turin-Caselle Airport, saying they targeted the site because it is home to the headquarters of the Italian defense company Leonardo.
At the same time, students occupied university buildings in Rome, Milan and Turin, as well as high schools in Bologna and Florence, later marching in solidarity with Gaza. A major rally is planned for Thursday evening near the Colosseum in Rome.
From Copenhagen, where she was attending the European Political Community summit, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who opposed the flotilla, denounced both the flotilla and the protests. "The activists' choice will not help the Palestinian people in any way, but it will cause great discomfort to the Italian people," she said.
She also lashed out at the Italian opposition, which refuses to back US President Donald Trump's peace plan. "What remains is only the Italian left, with positions more radical than those of European states, Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority," she added.
Meloni, leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, is facing a highly negative public opinion toward Israel. A YouGov poll conducted last May found that only 13% of Italians hold a favorable view of Israel, compared with 70% with an unfavorable view. Just 9% consider the military operation in Gaza justified – the lowest figure in Europe.
