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A piercing sound of honking vehicles and port employees shouting “you are not welcome” welcomed an Israeli-owned cargo vessel when it arrived in Livorno this week.

For two days, the striking port laborers stood their ground, refusing to unload and reload the ship’s cargo in a display of strong support for the people of Gaza and the Global Sumud flotilla attempting to bring humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The action was successful and the ship, bound for the US and Canada, left the port.

Nationwide Port Protests Spread

From northern ports in the northern region, to southern harbors in the southern area, in recent weeks port workers across Italy have managed in obstructing vessels believed to be transporting arms for Israel, as opposition to the country’s war in Gaza intensifies.

The workers’ resolve to block weapons and stifle trade has been a crucial component of the solidarity movement in the nation as pressure increases on Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government to take a stronger stance against Israel.

“Israel is carrying out an systematic destruction of people in the Gaza Strip – by taking lives, by depriving them of food,” said a port employee, one protester. “We cannot remain indifferent. We have historically been a harbor of refuge, not one of war. We will keep demonstrating until this hostilities concludes.”

General Strike Adds Pressure

On the end of the week, thousands demonstrated after Italy’s largest trade union organized the latest nationwide walkout in under 14 days, shutting educational institutions, disrupting transport and causing disruption on mass transit and in healthcare. There were also spontaneous protests on Wednesday night after military vessels stopped the aid convoy and detained hundreds of activists, including the prominent campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The incident in Livorno was the initial instance an vessel from Israel transporting general merchandise had been prevented from docking.

Popular Sentiment and Political Response

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

Meloni has criticised Israel’s killing of Palestinian people in the past few months, describing it as a “excessive” reaction to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks, and has opened up to the country recognizing a Palestinian state, though with conditions. 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 Middle Eastern countries, all the while following the line of the American leader, the former president.

Still, she is aware of voter sentiment, especially with the country in the throes of multiple local votes, and has sought to exploit the protests and aid mission to attack her leftwing opponents.

The Prime Minister has described the convoy as “dangerous and irresponsible” and, despite the humanitarian mission involving many participants from different countries, she said it was only aimed at “causing difficulties” for her administration. Meloni criticized the national walkout, accusing participants of undertaking “a extended break disguised as a revolution” while stating the event was politically orchestrated and offered no real benefit to the people of Gaza.

“The Meloni government can only remain in power with scapegoats,” claimed Gianfranco Francese, who heads the Livorno unit of the major trade union. “There is also a significant inconsistency between what the Prime Minister claims and what she implements,” he continued. “She speaks of being a great patriot, a Christian and a parent, but she has not undertaken any official steps to halt the massacre of women and children.”

Government Standing Despite Protests

But despite the widespread popular feeling shown through the wave of solidarity demonstrations, Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party remains ahead in surveys, at approximately thirty percent, and she has headed an uncharacteristically stable Italian government since taking office in October 2022.

“From one perspective, there is the larger part of public opinion in solidarity with Gaza which wants an cessation to the war,” said Lorenzo Pregliasco, a founder of a polling firm. “But you don’t see the impact of this when it comes to vote.”

Pregliasco referred to recent regional votes in the central area where Meloni’s coalition secured a second mandate. The similar result is expected in votes in other regions.

Pregliasco said there was “a real risk of the pro-Palestinian activism having too much of a leftwing identity, which would distance people who are horrified with the war but who are not pro-Palestinian militants”.

Expert Perspectives

Nadia Urbinati at an American university and the University of Bologna, said the explanation why the consequences of the demonstrations were not being seen in elections was because barely half of Italian voters participate in elections.

“And those who do, support conservative parties,” she added, noting that the Prime Minister could readily leverage the protests to disarm rivals.

She said every spontaneous movement of citizens was vulnerable to being penetrated by antagonists, and alleged that this had been occurring in order to “discredit and suppress” the solidarity campaign.

Medical Professionals Participate

A cardiologist in Rome, has joined several pro-Palestine protests in the Italian capital and participated in the protest near Piazza Vittorio on Friday.

“Recently, there was an event held in Italy’s hospitals during which we remembered the many healthcare workers who died in Gaza while trying to help people,” she said. “It was a very touching moment and we will keep organizing. You may not observe it in political polls yet, but I believe this government is starting to be deeply concerned of the people.”