Italy Blocks Ports in Nationwide Gaza Solidarity Protest – 22 September 2025

Italy Blocks Ports in Nationwide Gaza Solidarity Protest – 22 September 2025

Italy witnessed one of its largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations on 22 September 2025 as dockworkers, labor unions, students, and civil-society groups staged a coordinated strike and port blockade to show solidarity with Gaza. Under the slogan “Let’s Block Everything,” protesters shut down key ports, disrupted public transport, and demanded an immediate halt to Italian arms shipments that could reach Israel.

The northern port cities of Genoa and Livorno were the epicenter, where dockworkers closed access roads and gates to stop cargo from entering or leaving. Public transit systems in Rome, Milan, and Naples operated at minimal capacity, and several regional rail lines reported cancellations. Schools and some government offices closed as part of a nationwide strike, with Palestinian flags visible across city squares and chants calling for an end to the Gaza blockade and for safe humanitarian corridors.

Union leaders from USB, CUB, ADL, and SGB urged Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government to review all military and trade agreements with Israel and to officially recognize a Palestinian state.

Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini dismissed the strike as a “left-wing political stunt,” claiming the national economy was not seriously affected. Police in some cities used water cannons and batons to disperse crowds, though no major injuries were reported.

Analysts say the scale of the action, which temporarily paralyzed commercial shipping and slowed transport nationwide, shows that Italian citizens are willing to leverage economic disruption to demand an end to civilian suffering in Gaza and could influence wider European debate on Middle East policy.