HUNDREDS of thousands of workers and young people took to the streets across Italy on Friday in a general strike organised by the CGIL and other unions, disrupting ports, rail, traffic and highways, businesses, schools and universities, in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla and the people of Gaza.
CGIL said that 300,000 marched in Rome and that 100,000 people participated in the protest in Milan,.
Demonstrators filled Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci, waving Palestinian flags and chanting: ‘Free Palestine.’ Genoa saw 40,000 people marching from the ferry terminal to the city centre, while at least 10,000 rallied in Brescia.
Thousands blocked the A4 motorway toll plaza in Vicenza. In Venice, marches cut off access routes to the city’s historic centre.
In Rome, protesters marched from Piazza Vittorio to Termini station under banners reading ‘Stop the genocide, we are all Global Sumud Flotilla.’
The capital’s main station reported cancellations and delays of up to 80 minutes. Naples’ port was sealed off by more than 10,000 protesters, while the ports of Livorno and Salerno were also blocked.
CGIL leader Maurizio Landini said that the strike was ‘fully legitimate’, pledging to challenge the strike authority’s ruling that it was illegal for lack of advance notice.
‘We are guaranteeing minimum services and will appeal.’
He added: ‘This is not just any strike. We’re here today to defend brotherhood among individuals, among peoples, to put humanity back at the centre, to say no to genocide, no to a policy of rearmament,’
Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein marched in Rome, calling to ‘defend the right to strike,’ while Bari’s Mayor Vito Leccese urged ‘a ceasefire, peace and recognition of the Palestinian state.’ Tuscany’s Governor Eugenio Giani said his region demanded ‘peace, humanity and justice.’
Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini denounced the strike as ‘unlawful’ and pushed for tougher penalties. ‘Those who organise illegal strikes must pay for the damages.’
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto claimed that blocking ports and railways ‘will not bring relief to Palestinians.’
Actions also spread abroad, with staff at Italian embassies and cultural institutes in Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon joining the strike.
There was a 15,000 strong march in Barcelona and a thousands strong march in Madrid while several hundred protesters gathered outside the Irish parliament in Dublin. There were demonstrations in Australia with the biggest of those taking place in Sydney and Melbourne.
The general strike in Italy follows a nationwide demonstration in France on Thursday against public sector cuts being carried out by the government of President Emmanuel Macron.
Over 600,000 workers and youth protested throughout the country with the largest demonstration taking place in Paris where the CGT trade union federation said that 195,000 people had taken part.
The marchers forced the closure of the Eiffel Tower the capital city’s largest tourist attraction.
Meanwhile in Greece, chanting relentlessly ‘No to slavery’, ‘No to the Middle Ages’, over 20,000 workers and youth participated in three 24-hour general strike marches in Athens last Wednesday 1st October, demanding the smashing of the 13-hour work day government Bill.
Workers demanded an immediate escalation of the fight and some trade unionists who spoke called for another 24-hour general strike ‘to force the Mitsotakis government to withdraw the Bill’. By far, young workers in their 20s and 30s made up most of the demonstrators.
Mass strike marches were held in all the main Greek cities including those on the Aegean islands and on Crete.
The strike was 100 per cent solid in the ports and no ferry sailed. Newspapers were not printed and all construction sites remained shut.
There were no morning or evening train services, city buses, trams or metro services.
But the strike was much less successful in schools, the civil service, banks and large factories.
There were many Palestinian flags at the marches and outside the Vouli (Greek Parliament) where the demonstrators demanded the vindication of the request of the hunger striker Panos Routsis, who has now completed 18 days of strike, for the exhumation and toxicological examination of the body of his son who was killed in the train crash at Tempi in 2023.
The participation to the three Athens marches – one by the GSEE (Greek TUC), one by PAME the Communist Party trade union organisations, and the third by left-wing trade union branches – was greater than the previous General Strike (9th April, 2025), although the trade union leaders of GSEE as usual refused to block factories and large businesses and were content with another march around Athens.
Unlike the recent general strikes in France and Italy, that carried out blockades in ports and rail stations, the strike marches in Athens expressed their anger with slogans, some of which, however, demanded the overthrow of the government and escalation of the fight with a new strike.
As soon as it became known, late on Wednesday night, that the Israeli Army had attacked the World Samud Flotilla which is sailing to Gaza, thousands of people gathered outside the the Foreign Ministry building in Athens demanding that Greece protects the Flotilla and chanting ‘Palestine will be free’, ‘Stop the genociode’.
After the general strike, the was a mass march to the Israeli Embassy on Thursday.
Meanwhile in Alicante, as strike affecting intercity bus services has left major routes, including line 24 and the airport connection C-6, partially suspended, causing significant disruption for commuters, students, and travellers.
The strike, which began on Friday was called by the UGT (General Workers Union) which represents employees of La Alcoyana, the operator responsible for these services.
Passengers have reported long delays, confusion, and uncertainty about which services were running, while authorities scrambled to maintain minimum service levels during the protest.
The disruption has highlighted broader issues in Alicante’s public transport system and the challenges of balancing workers’ rights with service reliability.
The strike was triggered by demands for a new public tender for the intercity bus service, which has operated under the same contract for more than 13 years.
Employees argue that the outdated contract has contributed to inefficiencies, poor working conditions, and poor services.
According to union representatives, the lack of a recent tender prevents improvements in both staffing levels and scheduling, leaving both workers and passengers dissatisfied.
UGT union officials have also criticised La Alcoyana’s management, alleging irregularities that negatively impact staff and service delivery.
Drivers have reported incidents of aggression from certain passengers in recent months, adding pressure on employees and contributing to the decision to halt services temporarily.
Safety concerns, they argue, must be addressed to ensure that staff can operate routes without fear or undue stress.
- The European Union has extended its sanctions regime against Russia for one year on accusations of so-called hybrid activities.
According to a statement from the Council of the EU, the restrictions in light of the alleged ‘Russia’s continued hybrid activities’ have been extended until 9th October 2026.
This sanctions mechanism was introduced on 8th October last year in addition to the main EU sanctions package against Moscow.
It includes asset freezes and EU entry bans for 47 individuals and 15 entities.
Those listed are subject to an asset freeze, and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to them.
‘Natural persons (ie Russian nationals) also face a travel ban that prohibits them from entering or transiting through EU territories,’ the document reads.
European companies are forced to pay two or three times more for energy than American ones because the authorities of those countries refuse to use Russia’s energy resources, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
The ministry stated: ‘European companies have to pay 2-3 times more for electricity than their American counterparts, and 4.5 times more for gas.
‘This has led to widespread closures of production facilities and their outflow to third countries.
‘In 2024, industrial production in the EU contracted by 2.4 per cent.’
