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6h ago

Mass Protests and General Strike Spread Across Italy

Widespread student and worker actions signal mounting pressure over rising living costs and defence spending that could force policy and security choices for the government.

Protesters wave Unione Sindacale di Base flags in Milan, northern Italy on October 30 during a demonstration as part of a nationwide day of strikes and protests.
Smoke flares and tyres are set on fire to block the main intersection between the port and the highway, blocking trucks exiting the port in Genoa, Italy, on October 30.
Students face Italian police officers in Turin on October 30 during a demonstration as part of a nationwide day of strikes and protests.
Demonstrators wave flags and shout slogans through megaphones during a nationwide general strike called by grassroots unions to protest rising living costs, low wages and military spending in Rome, Friday, Oct. 30.

Overview

  • Large demonstrations and a USB-led 24-hour general strike took place in more than 50 cities on Friday, October 30, drawing thousands of students, teachers, truck drivers, farmers and other workers.
  • Protesters demanded greater funding for schools, housing support and relief from soaring fuel and living costs while opposing increased defence and arms‑related port activity.
  • Organisers reported very large turnouts, saying as many as 100,000 marched in Rome, while other reports gave lower figures and media noted turnout varied by city.
  • The government tightened public‑gathering rules, eased detention rules for minors and approved a €175.2 million aid package for truckers, farmers and fishermen as police carried out preventative arrests and deployed heavy security; isolated clashes and some arrests were reported in several cities.
  • Sector tactics included farmers dumping manure in Turin and dockworkers trying to block arms shipments in Genoa, and the protests follow earlier violence in Milan on October 17–18 that has shaped policing and public concern.