Italian students wave the Palestinian flag at the pro-Palestine protest in Genoa, Italy, September 22, 2025.
Following the recognition of Palestine by certain European countries, thousands have taken to the streets in more than 81 cities in Italy in repudiation of the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
In response to calls from unions to “denounce the genocide in Gaza” and break diplomatic ties with Israel, several cities in Italy have been the scene of protests, strikes and blockades by pro-Palestinian protesters this Monday.
Italy’s main unions have called for a 24-hour general strike in the public and private sectors, including public transport, trains, schools and ports.
“There is an urgent need to stop operations, protest against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the complicity of the Giorgia Meloni Government with Israel and stop the war and the arms race”, according to a statement released by the Grassroots Trade Union Union (USB), one of the organizers.
In Rome (Italian capital) more than 20,000 people have gathered in front of the Termini train station, Rome’s central station, to protest the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The participants waved the flags of Palestine, while chanting “Free Palestine!”.
Likewise, numerous protests have been carried out in the cities of Milan and Turin, in the central city of Florence and in the cities of Naples, Bari and Palermo, as indicated by local sources.
Student marches are also touring the city of Genoa (north), while some 600 workers from the Genoese port, one of the most important in Italy, are blocking access to the port area, from where the main protest demonstration will depart this afternoon.
What does the Italian Government say?
The protests in Italy come after several countries have announced recognition of the State of Palestine, as the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada did on Sunday.
Giorgia Meloni’s ultraconservative government is ideologically close to US President Donald Trump and has adopted a cautious attitude toward the war in Gaza, although Meloni has repeatedly expressed his “concern” about ongoing Israeli genocide.
According to some sources, Rome will not recognize a Palestinian state “for the moment” and has shown reluctance to implement the trade sanctions proposed by the European Union against Israel.
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