'Starting to be very afraid': Italy's Palestinian Protests Increase Pressure on Meloni

A deafening chorus of blaring horns and dockworkers shouting “we don’t want you” greeted an Israel-linked cargo vessel when it arrived in the Tuscan port city this week.

For two days, the protesting port laborers refused to back down, refusing to handle the vessel’s freight in a display of strong support for the people of Gaza and the international aid convoy attempting to bring humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The protest was successful and the vessel, headed to the United States and Canada, left the port.

Countrywide Harbor Protests Expand

From Genoa, Trieste and Ravenna in the northern region, to Salerno and Taranto in the southern area, in recent weeks dock laborers throughout the country have managed in blocking ships suspected to be carrying weapons for Israel, as opposition to the country’s war in Gaza intensifies.

The dockers’ determination to block weapons and stifle trade has been a key element of the solidarity movement in Italy as demands increases on Prime Minister Meloni’s conservative administration to adopt a firmer position against the Israeli government.

“The Israeli military is conducting an extermination of people in the Gaza Strip – by taking lives, by starving them,” stated a dockworker, one protester. “We cannot remain indifferent. We have always been a harbor of refuge, not one of conflict. We will keep demonstrating until this hostilities concludes.”

General Strike Increases Tension

On Friday, thousands took to the streets after Cgil organized the second general strike in under 14 days, shutting educational institutions, stalling traffic and causing disruption on public transport and in healthcare. There were also impromptu demonstrations on midweek after military vessels intercepted the flotilla and detained hundreds of activists, including the prominent campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The incident in the Tuscan port was the first time an vessel from Israel carrying commercial goods had been prevented from docking.

Popular Sentiment and Political Response

Latest polls show strong backing among the public – including a considerable portion of voters of the governing alliance – for the recognition of a Palestinian state and in support of the humanitarian convoy.

The Prime Minister has criticised the deaths caused by Israel of Palestinian people in recent months, casting it as a “excessive” reaction to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks, and has opened up to the country recognizing 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 Arab nations, all the while aligning with the policies of the American leader, Donald Trump.

Still, she is aware of voter sentiment, especially with Italy in the midst of several regional elections, and has sought to exploit the protests and flotilla to attack her leftwing opponents.

The Prime Minister has described the flotilla as “dangerous and irresponsible” and, despite the aid effort involving many participants from various nations, she said it was only aimed at “creating problems” for her administration. Meloni criticized the national walkout, accusing Italians of undertaking “a extended break masquerading as a revolution” while stating the strike was politically orchestrated and provided little help to Gaza.

“The Meloni government can only survive with scapegoats,” stated Gianfranco Francese, who heads the Livorno unit of Cgil. “There is also a great contradiction between what Meloni says and what she implements,” he added. “She talks about being a great patriot, a Christian and a mother, but she has not undertaken any political or diplomatic action to halt the massacre of women and children.”

Government Standing Despite Unrest

But despite the widespread popular feeling reflected by the wave of pro-Palestinian protests, the ruling party continues to lead in surveys, at around 30%, and she has led an uncharacteristically stable Italian government since taking office in October 2022.

“On one hand, there is the larger part of public opinion in supporting Palestinians which desires an end to the conflict,” explained a political analyst, a co-founder of YouTrend. “But you won’t observe the impact of this when it time to cast ballots.”

The analyst mentioned last week’s elections in the central area where the governing alliance won a second mandate. The same outcome is anticipated in elections in Veneto and Calabria.

Pregliasco said there was “a genuine danger of the [Gaza] movement having an overly strong of a leftwing identity, which would alienate individuals who are appalled with the war but who are not active supporters”.

Analyst Insights

A political scientist at an American university and the University of Bologna, said the reason why the consequences of the protests were not being reflected in elections was because barely half of Italian voters participate in elections.

“And those who do, vote for the right,” she added, explaining that Meloni could easily use the protests to weaken rivals.

She said any grassroots activism of the public was susceptible to being infiltrated by opposing groups, and suggested that this had been occurring in order to “criminalise and repress” the Gaza movement.

Healthcare Community Join

A cardiologist in the capital, has attended several demonstrations in the city and participated in the protest near a central square on the strike day.

“Recently, there was an event held in medical facilities during which we remembered the thousands of medics killed in the conflict zone while trying to help people,” she stated. “It was a very touching moment and we will keep organizing. You might not see it in election surveys yet, but I believe this administration is becoming very afraid of us.”