Tens of thousands protest across Italy in day of action for Gaza

Tens of thousands joined pro-Palestine protests and strikes in Italy on Monday, while Catholic leaders led a vigil calling for peace in Gaza.

Blockades, strikes and marches took place across Italy as part of a day of action to denounce Israel's genocide in Gaza.

Police in Milan fired water cannons and tear gas at demonstrators, some of whom also threw projectiles at the officers.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti presided over a vigil for peace in Gaza, organised by the Community of Sant'Egidio and other Catholic groups, in the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome.

Rallies took place in Turin, Florence, Naples, Bari and Palermo, while in Genoa and Livorno, port docks were blocked by dockworkers.

Protesters blocked a highway in Bologna before being dispersed by water cannons, according to police.

The demonstrations came on the same day that France and other countries prepared to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, following recognition by the UK, Australia and Canada on Sunday.

Italy's far-right government refuses to recognise the State of Palestine "for the time being" and is reluctant to accept the trade sanctions proposed by the European Union, even though the government says it has stopped selling arms to Israel since October 2023.

According to a recent poll by the Only Numbers Institute, 40.6 percent of Italians want recognition of a Palestinian state.

More than 20,000 people, including many high school students, gathered in front of Termini Station in Rome, waving Palestinian flags and shouting "Free Palestine" on Monday.

The Unione Sindacale di Base union organised a 24-hour national strike demanding Italy break off relations with Israel.