A piercing chorus of blaring horns and port employees chanting “you are not welcome” greeted an Israeli-owned cargo vessel when it arrived in Livorno this week.
For 48 hours, the protesting dockworkers stood their ground, declining to unload and reload the vessel’s freight in a act of defiant solidarity for Palestinians and the Global Sumud flotilla striving to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The protest was a triumph and the ship, bound for the United States and Canada, departed.
Countrywide Port Actions Expand
From northern ports in the northern region, to Salerno and Taranto in the south, in the past few weeks port workers throughout the country have managed in blocking vessels believed to be transporting arms for Israel, as opposition to the conflict in Gaza grows stronger.
The workers’ resolve to prevent arms shipments and disrupt commerce has been a crucial component of the pro-Palestinian uprising in Italy as demands mounts on Prime Minister Meloni’s conservative administration to take a stronger stance against the Israeli government.
“Israel is carrying out an extermination of civilians in Gaza – by killing them, by starving them,” stated a port employee, one protester. “We cannot remain indifferent. We have always been a port of welcome, not one of war. We will continue protesting until this hostilities concludes.”
General Strike Increases Pressure
On Friday, many people took to the streets after Cgil called the latest nationwide walkout in under 14 days, closing schools, stalling traffic and causing disruption on mass transit and in healthcare. There were also spontaneous protests on Wednesday night after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla and arrested numerous participants, including the prominent campaigner the environmental advocate.
The incident in Livorno was the initial instance an Israeli ship carrying commercial goods had been prevented from docking.
Popular Sentiment and Political Response
Recent surveys show strong backing among Italians – including a considerable portion of supporters of the governing alliance – for the recognition of a independent Palestine and in favor of the flotilla aid mission.
The Prime Minister has criticised Israel’s killing of Palestinian people in recent months, describing it as a “excessive” response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks, and has expressed willingness to Italy recognising a sovereign Palestine, albeit with caveats. But she continues trying to walk a fine line between being one of the strongest supporters of Israel in the EU and a friend of Middle Eastern countries, all the while following the policies of the American leader, the former president.
Still, she is mindful of voter sentiment, especially with the country in the midst of multiple local votes, and has sought to use the demonstrations and aid mission to attack her political rivals.
Meloni has characterized the convoy as “risky and reckless” and, despite the aid effort involving many participants from different countries, she said it was only targeted at “causing difficulties” for her government. Meloni took a swipe at Friday’s general strike, accusing Italians of undertaking “a extended break disguised as a political uprising” while claiming the event was politically orchestrated and provided little help to Gaza.
“The Meloni government can only survive with scapegoats,” stated a union leader, who leads the local branch of Cgil. “There is also a great contradiction between what Meloni says and what she implements,” he added. “She talks about being a devoted nationalist, a religious person and a parent, but she has not undertaken any official steps to halt the massacre of civilian families.”
Political Stability Despite Unrest
But despite the strong public sentiment shown through the series of solidarity demonstrations, the ruling party continues to lead in polls, at approximately thirty percent, and she has headed an uncharacteristically stable Italian government since coming to power in October 2022.
“On one hand, there is the majority of public opinion in supporting Palestinians which desires an cessation to the war,” said a political analyst, a co-founder of YouTrend. “But you won’t observe the impact of this when it time to cast ballots.”
Pregliasco mentioned last week’s elections in the central area where Meloni’s coalition won a another term. The same outcome is expected in elections in Veneto and Calabria.
He said there was “a genuine danger of the [Gaza] movement having an overly strong of a leftwing identity, which would distance individuals who are appalled with the war but who are not pro-Palestinian militants”.
Analyst Insights
A political scientist at New York’s Columbia University and the an Italian institution, said the explanation why the effects of the protests were not being seen in elections was because only around fifty percent of Italian voters participate in elections.
“And those who do, support conservative parties,” she said, explaining that the Prime Minister could readily leverage the unrest to weaken rivals.
She said any grassroots activism of citizens was vulnerable to being penetrated by opposing groups, and alleged that this had been happening in order to “discredit and suppress” the Gaza movement.
Healthcare Professionals Join
Susanna Romitelli in the capital, has attended several demonstrations in the Italian capital and participated in the protest near Piazza Vittorio on Friday.
“Recently, there was an initiative held in medical facilities during which we remembered the many healthcare workers killed in the conflict zone while trying to help people,” she stated. “It was a very touching moment and we will continue to mobilise. You may not observe it in election surveys yet, but I believe this government is starting to be very afraid of us.”
