Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in dozens of cities across Italy \u2013 shutting schools, disrupting trains and blocking ports and roads \u2013 in one of Europe\u2019s largest nationwide protests against Israel\u2019s offensive in Gaza.<\/p>\n
The protests came as France and several other countries<\/a> prepared to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN general assembly on Monday after the UK, Australia, Portugal and Canada did so<\/a> on Sunday.<\/p>\n Italy has so far distanced itself from the coordinated move. The prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has previously said it could be counterproductive to recognise the state of Palestine before it was established. \u201cIf something that doesn\u2019t exist is recognised on paper, the problem could appear to be solved when it isn\u2019t,\u201d she told the Italian daily La Repubblica<\/a> in late July.<\/p>\n Police and protesters face off in Milan. Photograph: Claudia Greco\/Reuters<\/p>\n Grassroots unions across Italy<\/a> called for a 24-hour general strike on Monday in solidarity with the people of Gaza, citing reasons that included the \u201cinertia of the Italian and EU governments\u201d to address the humanitarian crisis in the territory.<\/p>\n From Milan to Palermo, Italians poured on to the streets in at least 75 municipalities<\/a> across the country. In Genoa and Livorno, dock workers blocked<\/a> ports over concerns that Italy was being used as a staging post for the transfer of arms to Israel.<\/p>\n graphic<\/a><\/p>\n In Rome, more than 20,000 people gathered outside the Termini train station waving Palestinian flags and chanting \u201cfree Palestine\u201d. Michelangelo, 17, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) he had turned up to support \u201ca population that is being exterminated\u201d.<\/p>\n In the neighbouring Piazza dei Cinquecento, a political science student cited the recently published finding<\/a> by a UN commission that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza to explain why she and other students were among those protesting.<\/p>\n \u201cThis doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019re anti-Jews or antisemitic, and we\u2019re tired of the media and politicians playing on this misunderstanding,\u201d the student, identified only as Alessandra<\/a>, told La Repubblica. \u201cIt just means we\u2019re against a government that\u2019s committing genocide while the international community looks the other way.\u201d<\/p>\n Dock workers and protesters block the port of Genoa. Photograph: Matteo Minnella\/Reuters<\/p>\n Under the slogan of Let\u2019s Block Everything, those taking part in the general strike called on the government to suspend commercial and military cooperation with Israel and expressed support for the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international initiative<\/a> of more than 50 small boats seeking to break Israel\u2019s naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.<\/p>\n Organisers said 50,000 people had turned out in the northern city of Milan, and police in Bologna put the figure there at more than 10,000.<\/p>\n Tensions escalated in Milan when dozens of protesters dressed in black and armed with batons tried to smash the main entrance of the city\u2019s central train station.<\/p>\n Scuffles break out between protesters and police in Milan. Photograph: Claudia Greco\/Reuters<\/p>\n They threw smoke bombs, bottles and stones at police, who responded with pepper spray. Police in Bologna used water cannon to disperse a crowd of demonstrators who blocked a main road.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to This is Europe<\/p>\n The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans \u2013 from identity to economics to the environment<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n More than 10 people were arrested in Milan and about 60 police officers suffered bruising or more serious injuries, according to Italy\u2019s Ansa news agency.<\/p>\n Meloni condemned the clashes. \u201cViolence and destruction have nothing to do with solidarity and won\u2019t change a thing in the lives of people in Gaza<\/a>,\u201d she wrote on social media.<\/p>\n Federica Casino, 52, pointed to the news of children being killed and hospitals being destroyed in Gaza to explain why she was protesting in Rome. \u201cItaly must come to a standstill today,\u201d she told AFP. \u201cItaly talks but does nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Meloni has repeatedly voiced concerns about the Israeli offence but her far-right government \u2013 which has sought to foster<\/a> close ties with Donald Trump\u2019s administration in the US \u2013 has adopted a cautious stance on the war in Gaza.<\/p>\n Protesters pack the central railway station in Naples. Photograph: Matteo Ciambelli\/Reuters<\/p>\n The transport minister, Matteo Salvini, downplayed the impact of the protests on Monday, describing them as the \u201cpolitical mobilisation of far-left unionists\u201d and praising those who had gone to work.<\/p>\n The Israeli military has in recent days intensified its operation<\/a> in Gaza, where it has killed more than 65,000 people over the last 23 months. Many thousands more are feared dead, their bodies buried in the rubble. A former Israeli army commander confirmed recently<\/a> that more than 200,000 Palestinians had been killed or injured in the war.<\/p>\n