Dozens injured in nationwide Gaza solidarity strike in Italy

A nationwide strike in Italy in solidarity with the people of Gaza caused widespread disruptions on Monday, delaying trains and hampering public transport in major cities, while clashes in Milan left dozens injured.

In Milan, confrontations between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and police left at least 60 officers injured, 23 of whom were hospitalized, according to police reports.

The number of injured demonstrators was not immediately available. Authorities said at least 10 people were arrested.

Several long-distance trains were delayed by more than an hour, and buses and metro services in cities such as Rome and Milan operated on reduced schedules.

The unrest broke out following a rally held as part of a nationwide strike in solidarity with the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip.

According to eyewitnesses, a group of demonstrators tried to force their way into Milan’s main railway station. Stones were also thrown from the crowd, while police used batons and tear gas. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

Meloni blamed “self-proclaimed antifa members” amd “self-proclaimed pacifists” for the rioting, which she said was intended to devastate the station and provoke clashes with the security forces.

“Violence and destruction that have nothing to do with solidarity and that will not change a single thing in the lives of people in Gaza,” Meloni wrote on X.

Rather, this would have “concrete consequences for Italian citizens, who will end up suffering and paying for the damage caused by these thugs,” she added.

Pro-Palestinian rallies were also held in other Italian cities, with tens of thousands of participants in total.

In Rome, estimates suggest that more than 50,000 people took to the streets.

The USB union organized the strike to protest what it called the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to demand sanctions against Israel.

Italy’s major trade unions did not join the action.