A piercing chorus of blaring horns and port employees chanting “we don’t want you” greeted an Israel-linked cargo vessel when it docked in Livorno this week.
For 48 hours, the protesting dockworkers refused to back down, refusing to unload and reload the vessel’s freight in a display of defiant solidarity for the people of Gaza and the Global Sumud flotilla striving to deliver humanitarian assistance to the besieged territory. The action was successful and the vessel, bound for the US and Canada, left the port.
Countrywide Port Protests Spread
From northern ports in the northern region, to southern harbors in the southern area, in recent weeks port workers throughout the country have managed in obstructing vessels believed to be carrying arms for the Israeli military, as resistance to the conflict in the Gaza Strip intensifies.
The workers’ resolve to prevent arms shipments and stifle trade has been a key element of the solidarity movement in Italy as demands increases on Prime Minister Meloni’s far-right government to adopt a firmer position against Israel.
“Israel is carrying out an systematic destruction of civilians in the Gaza Strip – by taking lives, by depriving them of food,” stated a dockworker, one protester. “We must not stay silent. We have always been a harbor of refuge, not one of conflict. We will continue protesting until this hostilities concludes.”
National Walkout Adds Pressure
On the end of the week, many people demonstrated after Cgil organized the latest nationwide walkout in less than two weeks, closing schools, disrupting transport and creating delays on public transport and in medical services. There were also spontaneous protests on Wednesday night after Israeli forces stopped the aid convoy and arrested hundreds of activists, including the prominent campaigner the environmental advocate.
The incident in Livorno was the initial instance an vessel from Israel transporting commercial goods had been prevented from docking.
Public Opinion and Government Reaction
Recent surveys show strong backing among the public – including a substantial share of supporters of Meloni’s ruling coalition – for the establishment of a independent Palestine and in favor of the flotilla aid mission.
Meloni has criticised the deaths caused by Israel of Palestinians in recent months, casting it as a “disproportionate” response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks, and has expressed willingness to Italy recognising a Palestinian state, though with conditions. But she continues trying to maintain the delicate balance between being one of the strongest supporters of Israel in the EU and a friend of Arab nations, all the while following the line of the US president, the former president.
Still, she is aware of voter sentiment, especially with Italy in the midst of multiple local votes, and has attempted to use the demonstrations and aid mission to criticize her political rivals.
Meloni has characterized the convoy as “dangerous and irresponsible” and, despite the aid effort involving hundreds of activists from different countries, she said it was only aimed at “creating problems” for her administration. She criticized the national walkout, claiming Italians of undertaking “a long weekend disguised as a revolution” while claiming the event was politically orchestrated and provided little help to the people of Gaza.
“The Meloni government can only survive with someone to blame,” claimed Gianfranco Francese, who leads the local branch of Cgil. “There is also a significant inconsistency between what Meloni claims and what she implements,” he continued. “She speaks of being a devoted nationalist, a Christian and a mother, 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 wave of pro-Palestinian protests, Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party continues to lead in surveys, at around 30%, and she has headed an uncharacteristically stable Italian government since coming to power in late 2022.
“From one perspective, there is the majority of public opinion in supporting Gaza which desires an cessation to the conflict,” said Lorenzo Pregliasco, a founder of YouTrend. “But you don’t see the effects of this when it comes to vote.”
The analyst mentioned last week’s elections in the Marche region where the governing alliance secured a second mandate. The similar result is anticipated in elections in Veneto and Calabria.
He said there was “a genuine danger of the [Gaza] movement having too much of a partisan association, which would distance people who are horrified with the war but who are not pro-Palestinian militants”.
Analyst Perspectives
Nadia Urbinati at an American university and the an Italian institution, said the explanation why the consequences of the demonstrations were not being reflected in elections was because barely half of Italian voters go to the polls.
“And those who do, vote for the right,” she added, noting that the Prime Minister could easily use the protests to weaken rivals.
She said every spontaneous movement of the public was vulnerable to being penetrated by antagonists, and suggested that this had been occurring in order to “criminalise and repress” the Gaza movement.
Healthcare Professionals Join
Susanna Romitelli in Rome, has attended several pro-Palestine protests in the city and marched in the protest near a central square on the strike day.
“Last night, there was an event held in medical facilities during which we remembered the many healthcare workers who died in Gaza while trying to help people,” she stated. “It was a very touching moment and we will continue to mobilise. You might not see it in political polls yet, but I think this administration is becoming deeply concerned of us.”
