Tens of Thousands Rally in 40 Italy Cities, 8 Held in Rome
The 24-hour general strike widened from pay and cost-of-living demands to opposition to military spending and weapons shipments.
Tens of thousands of students, workers and activists took to the streets in more than 40 cities across Italy on Friday (30/10) in a 24-hour general strike led by the Unione Sindacale di Base. They demanded higher wages, better public services and protested the surge in living costs and Giorgia Meloni government's plan to increase defense spending. The action was largely peaceful, but clashes broke out in several locations. In Rome, police used water cannon after a group of demonstrators tried to approach parliament; eight people were detained. In Turin, police also used water cannon around the prefecture building. In Genoa, about 15,000 port workers, students and protesters entered the port area while protesting weapons shipments. Palestinian flags were also visible at rallies in Rome and Milan.