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A piercing sound of blaring horns and port employees shouting “you are not welcome” welcomed an Israel-linked cargo vessel when it arrived in Livorno this week.

For 48 hours, the protesting port laborers refused to back down, declining to handle the vessel’s freight in a display of defiant solidarity for Palestinians and the international aid convoy attempting to bring aid to the besieged territory. The protest was a triumph and the ship, headed to the US and Canada, departed.

Countrywide Port Actions Expand

From Genoa, Trieste and Ravenna in the north, to Salerno and Taranto in the southern area, in the past few weeks dock laborers across Italy have managed in obstructing vessels suspected to be carrying weapons for Israel, as opposition to the country’s war in Gaza intensifies.

The workers’ resolve to prevent arms shipments and disrupt commerce has been a key element of the pro-Palestinian uprising in Italy as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Meloni’s conservative administration to adopt a firmer position against the Israeli government.

“The Israeli military is conducting an systematic destruction of civilians in Gaza – by taking lives, by depriving them of food,” stated a dockworker, Luca Simoni. “We must not stay silent. We have historically been a harbor of refuge, not one of war. We will keep demonstrating until this hostilities ends.”

National Walkout Increases Pressure

On Friday, many people demonstrated after Italy’s largest trade union called the second general strike in less than two weeks, shutting educational institutions, stalling traffic and causing disruption on public transport and in medical services. There were also spontaneous protests on midweek after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla and arrested hundreds of activists, including the well-known activist the environmental advocate.

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

Popular Sentiment and Government Response

Latest polls show strong backing among Italians – including a considerable portion of voters of Meloni’s ruling coalition – for the establishment of a Palestinian state and in support of the flotilla aid mission.

Meloni has spoken against the deaths caused by Israel of Palestinians in the past few months, casting it as a “disproportionate” response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks, and has expressed willingness to the country recognizing a Palestinian state, albeit with caveats. But she still attempts to maintain the delicate balance between being one of Israel’s staunchest allies in the EU and a ally of Arab nations, all the while aligning with the policies of the US president, Donald Trump.

Still, she is aware of voter sentiment, especially with the country in the midst of several regional elections, and has sought to exploit the demonstrations and flotilla to attack her political rivals.

Meloni has described the convoy as “risky and reckless” and, despite the aid effort involving many participants from various nations, she said it was only aimed at “causing difficulties” for her government. She criticized Friday’s general strike, accusing Italians of undertaking “a extended break masquerading as a political uprising” while stating the event was organized for political reasons and provided little help to Gaza.

“The current administration can only remain in power with someone to blame,” claimed Gianfranco Francese, who heads the local branch of Cgil. “There is also a significant inconsistency between what the Prime Minister claims and what she does,” he added. “She talks about being a great patriot, a religious person and a mother, but she has not undertaken any official steps to stop the massacre of women and children.”

Political Stability Amid Protests

But despite the strong public sentiment reflected by the wave of pro-Palestinian protests, Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party remains ahead in surveys, at approximately thirty percent, and she has led an unusually steady national administration since coming to power in late 2022.

“On one hand, there is the majority of the population in solidarity with Palestinians which wants an cessation to the conflict,” explained a political analyst, a co-founder of YouTrend. “But you don’t see the effects of this when it comes to vote.”

Pregliasco mentioned recent regional votes in the central area where Meloni’s coalition won a another term. The same outcome is expected in votes in Veneto and Calabria.

He said there was “a real risk of the pro-Palestinian activism having an overly strong of a leftwing identity, which would alienate individuals who are appalled with the war but who are not active supporters”.

Expert Insights

Nadia Urbinati at New York’s Columbia University and the University of Bologna, said the reason why the effects of the protests were not being seen in elections was because only around fifty percent of Italian voters participate in elections.

“And the ones who vote, support conservative parties,” she added, noting that the Prime Minister could easily leverage the unrest to weaken opponents.

She said any grassroots activism of citizens was susceptible to being infiltrated by opposing groups, and suggested that this had been happening in order to “criminalise and repress” the solidarity campaign.

Healthcare Professionals Participate

A cardiologist in Rome, has joined multiple pro-Palestine protests in the city and marched in the rally near Piazza Vittorio on Friday.

“Recently, there was an initiative held in medical facilities during which we remembered the many healthcare workers killed in Gaza while providing aid,” she stated. “It was a very touching moment and we will keep organizing. You may not observe it in election surveys yet, but I think this administration is starting to be deeply concerned of the people.”