In Italy, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of dozens of cities Monday as Italian labor unions led a nationwide 24-hour general strike to demand an end to Israel’s assault on Gaza. In Rome, tens of thousands joined a march that blocked a major highway. There were similar scenes in Bologna, where student protesters occupied university lecture halls. In Venice, police fired water cannons to disperse protesters, while dockworkers led marches in Genoa and other port cities, seeking to block weapons exports to Israel. This is Genoa resident Dario Rossi.

Dario Rossi: “Genoa is a port and, therefore, the ideal place to try and stop this trade in arms that are fueling genocide. These weapons should not be allowed to pass, because our laws prohibit trading arms with countries that are at war and violate human rights, yet they pass through unhindered. Fortunately, we have a very combative group of dockworkers here who are fighting tooth and nail and dragging the entire citizenry into this protest, which is spreading nationally and internationally.”