(LifeSiteNews) — A general strike in solidarity with the Palestinian people took place across numerous Italian cities on Friday.

Organized by various trade unions, the strike mobilized over 2 million people in more than 100 cities and brought key sectors of the country to a standstill, including transportation, education, and even healthcare – prompting an outraged response from the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In some cases, the demonstrations led to direct clashes with law enforcement.

The organizers defended the strike as a necessary reaction to grave human rights violations in Gaza and the West Bank.

“This general strike is for Gaza, for a free Palestine, to put an end to Netanyahu’s crimes in Gaza as well as in the West Bank, and to finally achieve recognition of the Palestinian State,” said Elly Schlein, secretary of the Italian Democratic Party, denounced.

The demonstration was organized by Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL), Italy’s largest and most historic left-wing trade union, alongside a network of grassroots labor organizations. Though structurally autonomous, these organizations share a progressive orientation and a critical stance toward both domestic and international government policies.

Meloni dismissed the demonstration as useless: “I continue to believe that none of this brings any benefit to the people of Palestine; on the contrary, it seems clear to me that it will cause considerable disruption to the Italian people.” She also expressed concern over the timing of the mobilization, which was called for on a Friday: “Long weekends and revolution don’t go together.”

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Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, also expressed concern over the event. “This is going too far,” he stated, “because these people aren’t pro-Palestine, they’re pro-chaos: the demonstration is illegitimate. Anyone who damages or blocks the country in the name of an unlawful strike will face consequences. Sanctions are already prepared.”

The Commission for the Guarantee of Strikes, an independent authority of the Italian state that oversees compliance with regulations in essential public services, had in fact declared the strike “illegitimate” the day before the mobilization, as Italian law requires a minimum 10-day notice for any strike affecting public services.

The protests occurred amid the Israeli interception of vessels belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civil and international response to the Gaza crisis. The flotilla, carrying essential aid and symbols of solidarity, attempted to break the Israeli-imposed naval blockade on Gaza. Israel intercepted the vessels in international waters and proceeded to detain the activists, including several Italian citizens. Some activists were deported on Monday, but many others remain in custody.

“Today we are witnessing a powerful wave of participation. The Democratic Party stands in solidarity with what happened to the activists of the Flotilla, stopped by Israel in an act of piracy in the middle of international waters,” Schlein responded. “This is unacceptable, and we have not heard a single word of criticism from our government about what took place.”

Following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has carried out two years of systematic bombardments targeting civilian infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and refugee camps, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, according to humanitarian sources.

The suffering has been compounded by a total blockade of water, food, electricity, and medicine, creating a humanitarian crisis that numerous international observers, legal experts, and NGOs have described as a genocide.