Violent clashes erupt in Milan as pro-Palestinian protesters and strikers clash with riot police during nationwide strike

Violent chaos erupted in Italy on Monday as thousands joined a 24-hour general strike called by grassroots unions, clashing with riot police and overwhelming Milan's central train station. The strike, organized by USB and other unions, shuttered or delayed trains, disrupted schools and slowed port activity across the country. Demonstrations spread from Milan to Rome and other cities as protesters called for a halt to arms shipments to Israel and for international action over Gaza.

In Milan, a confrontation escalated when dozens of protesters dressed in black and armed with batons attempted to smash the main entrance of Milano Centrale, throwing smoke bombs, bottles and stones at officers who answered with pepper spray and tear gas. The clashes wounded or bruised police, and Italian authorities said more than 10 people were arrested. ANSA reported that around 60 officers suffered injuries of varying severity. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the scenes, saying the violence and destruction had nothing to do with solidarity and would have concrete consequences for Italian citizens who would pay the price of the damage caused by these hooligans.

Across the country, police used water cannons to disperse groups in Bologna that blocked a highway. In Naples, protesters forced entry into the city’s main railway station; in Genoa, demonstrators waved Palestinian flags around the port; in Livorno, an entrance to the port was blocked; and in Trieste protests took place in the northeast. Rome saw large gatherings, with more than 20,000 people marching in front of the central station, and tens of thousands filling central squares near the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica where Pope Francis is buried. In Rome, protesters chanted for an end to 'genocide in Gaza' and called on the government to sever ties with Israel and to support the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Around 70 Italian cities participated in the general strike, with demonstrations calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urging the government to sever all relations with the State of Israel. Protesters also reaffirmed support for the Global Sumud Flotilla, the naval fleet attempting to deliver aid to the Palestinian people. In Genoa and Livorno, dockworkers and other port workers pressed for action to prevent Italy from serving as a staging post for arms and other supplies to Israel. Protesters also demonstrated in Trieste and other coastal cities, amplifying a broad nationwide demand that echoed through shopping districts and squares.

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini minimized the strike’s impact on the rail network, saying, "Today's strike is causing the cancellation of only a limited number of trains. The political mobilisation of far-left trade unionists cannot harm millions of workers." He added that the government would ensure essential services remained functioning.

Unions and student organizations denounced what they described as the inertia of the Italian and EU governments. Walter Montagnoli, national secretary of the CUB union, joined a Milan march and said, "If we don't block what Israel is doing, if we don't block trade, the distribution of weapons and everything else with Israel, we will not ever achieve anything." The demonstrations, he argued, were meant to pressure policymakers to alter course on Gaza-related policy.

The wave of protests comes as Italy’s conservative government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, maintains a cautious but firm stance on Israel amid mounting domestic pressure over the Gaza conflict. Meloni, a close ally of Israel within the European Union, has increasingly emphasized security and diplomatic considerations in public, but Italy is not among the countries that will formally recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly this week. The broader international context includes the long-running Gaza war that began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, which killed about 1,200 people and led to a devastating Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Observers note that the Gaza conflict has produced a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with the Health Ministry reporting more than 65,100 killed and roughly 90 percent of the population displaced or affected by the fighting. Israeli authorities have said some figures reflect casualties among combatants and civilians alike, and UN agencies have stressed the difficulty of obtaining precise counts in such a dynamic war zone. The Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, is among the sources most cited by international organizations for casualty estimates, though independent verification remains challenging in the conflict’s convolution.

Italy’s government and EU allies have faced questions about weapons shipments, humanitarian access and the balance between diplomatic support for Israel and concern for Palestinian civilians. The protests underscored how domestic economic pressures—from strikes that disrupt transportation to port slowdowns and labor actions—intersect with a high-stakes international crisis. In Milan, Rome and other cities, protesters demanded a shift in policy that could influence Italy’s trade, arms relations and alignment with EU partners on the Gaza conflict.

The demonstrations also reflected broader concerns about the pace of political action in addressing humanitarian crises and how European governments respond to war in Gaza, including calls for a ceasefire and for international efforts to deliver aid to civilians. While some participants framed the protests as a humanitarian and anti-war push, others linked them to labor rights and opposition to arms shipments, illustrating the complexity of public opinion amid a rapidly evolving conflict.