Italians took to the streets for Gaza and the Flotilla, with few clashes and peaceful marches: "We are one and a half million."
The day of strikes and demonstrations
Tear gas and objects were thrown, and in some cases, police clashed with protesters. Universities and ports were occupied, trains and flights were canceled, and lines were delayed. Union estimates
A day of protests by the river, well-attended and inspired, unlike anything seen in a long time across Italy. A day of strikes and demonstrations sparked by the detention of the Global Sumud Flotilla across Italy, with marches in many cities, universities closed, and crowded squares. Some scheduled trains and flights were canceled, and some airports were delayed. A day of largely peaceful protests, with few clashes, sparked primarily by marches that decided to take to major roads or by raids. Indeed, just over a week ago, according to an Ixé poll , 73.7% of respondents believed genocide was taking place in Gaza, while 70.6% supported the humanitarian naval mission.
In Milan —where clashes had already erupted near the Central Station on September 22nd—protesters left the eastern ring road after clashes with the police. Officers had deployed water cannons and riot police, and the march took the Cascina Gobba exit and retreated. Police and Carabinieri used water cannons and tear gas, while protesters threw stones and other objects. Charges on the highway and the Bologna ring road began, with protesters throwing bottles, sticks, and tear gas at each other after a brief standoff over a short distance between the two sides. "There are children!" some shouted as police attempted to push back the march, which advanced with raised hands, some with their faces covered.
The Padova Industriale exit on the A13 Bologna-Padova motorway was closed, as was the section between Borgo Panigale and San Lazzaro on the A14 motorway. Tension also erupted in Ferrara, where a group of protesters broke away from the march and attempted to occupy the station. The railway yard was being guarded by riot police. After police began identifying those present, the protesters left. Rail traffic was not affected. Only a few moments of tension occurred in Padua , where police used water cannons to repel an attack on the Interporto.
300,000 in Rome 100 thousand in Milan 100 thousand in Bologna 80 thousand in Naples 20 thousand in Brescia Catania Palermo 50 thousand Genoa 20 thousand Alivorno ports highways ring roads blocked
ONE AND A HALF MILLION IN ITALY #BlocchiamoTutto #strike #GlobalSumudFlotilla #FreePalestine #Gaza #USB pic.twitter.com/At6oSdYnnS
— USB Union (@usbsindacato) October 3, 2025
At Porta Pia in Rome , near the Ministry of Transport, eggs were thrown at armored vehicles, and a stretch of the A24 highway was blocked. Ring roads were also occupied in Vicenza and Brescia . At Trento station, protesters invaded platform 1 and interrupted the Brenner railway line. There were some moments of tension with the police, some trains were cancelled, others suffered significant delays. The demonstration disrupted traffic in the city, with the ring road closed in both directions.
In Turin, Palazzo Nuovo was occupied and the OGR, where Italy Tech Week is underway, was raided. At the Leonardo headquarters, a group clashed with police. Protesters and officers were injured in Salerno , near the port. At least three protesters suffered head injuries; the extent of their injuries is currently unknown. Cobblestones and other objects were thrown. In Livorno , dockworkers blocked access to the port; in Trieste , Gate 4 was blocked by approximately 500 people. In Genoa, gates were blocked and some packaging was set on fire. Demonstrations were also held in several southern cities, such as Naples , Matera , Catanzaro , and Bari .
Already on Wednesday evening, following Israel's naval blockade of the Flotilla's vessels, several demonstrations had been called and spontaneously took to the streets. A strike by the SI Cobas had already been called for today on September 18th, followed by one called by the CGIL and USB . According to the Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), one of the strike's organizers, approximately one and a half million people participated in the demonstrations throughout Italy. Hundreds of thousands of people undoubtedly took to the streets. The Meloni government undoubtedly contributed to giving this humanitarian initiative such resonance, with its parochial and victim-centered statements that exploited the initiative and framed the mission more as a question between the majority and the opposition.
l'Unità
