Sunday, October 05, 2025

From Rome to Barcelona: Thousands attend pro-Palestinian demos

By Euronews

Published on 04/10/2025 -

Tens of thousands took to the streets in cities across Europe after Israel intercepted a flotilla of more than 40 ships carrying aid to Gaza.

Thousands of people marched in Barcelona and Rome on Saturday for a second day of Italian protests against Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

The protests in Barcelona and Madrid were planned weeks ago, whilst the protests in Rome and later in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon were sparked by widespread anger after Israel intercepted a humanitarian aid flotilla aiming to break a naval blockade of Palestinian territory.

More than 300,00 people filled the streets of Barcelona, according to organisers. Other demonstrations were registered in various parts of the country. Police estimates put the number at around 70,000.

Spain has seen an upsurge of support for Palestinians in recent weeks while its left-wing government intensifies diplomatic efforts against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government

00:00

02:00

Protests against the presence of an Israeli-owned cycling team repeatedly disrupted the Spanish Vuelta last month, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the destruction in Gaza a “genocide” and asked for the ban of all Israeli teams from international sporting events.

Italy already saw more than 2 million people rally on Friday across the country in a one-day general strike to support the Palestinians in Gaza.

The protest in Rome followed a route by the Colosseum. The organisers — three Palestinian organisations along with local unions and students — claimed that 1 million joined. There were no official estimates.

The protests in Madrid and Lisbon are to follow later on Saturday. There are also protests expected across many other Spanish cities.

Smaller rallies took place in Athens and Skopje, North Macedonia. Greek police believe a bigger gathering and march will take place

Italy travel warning: General strikes and protests set to disrupt travel today and beyond

By Craig Saueurs

Published on 03/10/2025 - EURONEWS

A demonstration likely to raw tens of thousands is also planned in Rome on 4 October.

Travellers in Italy should brace for severe disruption today, 3 October, as a nationwide general strike coincides with mass protests across the country.

The 24-hour work stoppage has been called by two of Italy’s biggest unions, CGIL and USB, in response to Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which included an estimated 40 Italian nationals and members of parliament among its passengers.

The snap walkout overlaps with a previously planned general strike, with potentially hundreds of thousands expected to take part in cities across the country.

The action is expected to hit air, rail, sea and local transport services at the start of the weekend.

Which airports and stations will be affected?

The action is set to affect schools, healthcare facilities and transport services nationwide, including air hubs such as Milan’s Malpensa airport.

National rail services will also be hit, with Trenitalia and Italo anticipating widespread disruption.

In Milan, metro operators this morning warned passengers to expect interruptions throughout the day, while in Genoa, dockworkers have pledged to block Israeli-linked shipments, raising the prospect of closures at one of Europe’s busiest ports.

Where are demonstrations taking place?

Organisers have vowed to “block everything”, in a call that echoes the bloquons tout movement occurring in France.

In Rome, a major rally was scheduled to begin at 11 am on Friday at Piazza dei Cinquecento, outside Termini train station. Police expected up to 70,000 people to join a march from Termini to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation.

The UK Foreign Office also warned of another demonstration that could attract thousands more in Rome on 4 October.

Travellers should expect road closures and delays near protest sites, especially in city centres. Some transport services are guaranteed during strikes, but the timetables vary from city to city. Check local websites for current information.

Why are unions striking?

Union leaders say the action is a response to Italy’s handling of the flotilla raid.

“The aggression against civilian ships carrying Italian citizens is an extremely serious matter,” CGIL said in a statement. “It is not only a crime against defenceless people, but it is also serious that the Italian government has abandoned Italian workers in open international waters, violating our constitutional principles.”

Italian authorities have declared the strike unlawful, since it is taking place without a legally mandated 10-day notice.

How has the Italian government responded?

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused the unions of exploiting the flotilla incident for political purposes.

Speaking outside a European Union summit in Copenhagen, she claimed the convoy had “brought no benefits for the Palestinian people” but was set to “bring many inconveniences to the Italian people”.

Taking aim at the timing, she added: “I would have expected … they would not have called a general strike on a Friday, because a long weekend and revolution don’t go together.”

Transport minister Matteo Salvini likewise criticised the movement and floated an injunction to block it. “We will not allow the CGIL and left-wing extremists to bring chaos to Italy. We will not tolerate any sudden general strike,” he wrote in a post on X.

What does this mean for travellers?

Italy’s civil aviation authority ENAC reminds travellers that flights scheduled between 7 am and 10 am and between 6 pm and 9 pm must still operate.

During strikes, most services to and from Sicily, Sardinia and other smaller islands are also guaranteed. Outside these windows, cancellations and delays are likely.

Travellers are advised to check with their airline or train operator before departure and allow extra time for journeys, especially in places where demonstrations are occurring.

More strikes ahead

Friday’s action comes at the start of a turbulent month for transport in Italy.

Between now and the end of the year, there are 40 planned strikes, including walkouts at Rome Fiumicino, Pisa, Florence and Milan Linate airports later this October.

For the latest updates, consult the Italian transport ministry’s strike calendar. Sunday to coincide with a pro-Israeli one.

Pro-Palestinian protesters at Italy's soccer

training center to oppose game vs. Israel

Associated Press
Fri, October 3, 2025

Demonstrators gather for a pro-Palestinians protest in Bologna, Italy, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (Guido Calamosca/LaPresse via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators sits on the Milan's ring road during a protest part of a national general strike called by different unions to protest against the situation in Gaza two days after Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march along the Milan's ring road as they gather for a national general strike called by different unions to protest against the situation in Gaza two days after Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march along the Rome's ring road as they gather for a national general strike called by different unions to protest against the situation in Gaza two days after Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea, in Rome, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator throws bottles during a demonstration part of a national general strike called by different unions to protest against the situation in Gaza two days after Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Pro-Palestinian Protesters approached the gates of the Italy soccer team's training center on Friday to demand an upcoming World Cup qualifier against Israel is not played because of the war in Gaza.

The protest was part of a national strike by more than two million people up and down the peninsula, according to the nation's largest union. The protesters were also reacting to an aid mission blocked by Israeli forces.

Italy is scheduled to host Israel in Udine on Oct. 14. UEFA had been considering suspending Israel over the war. The players were not at the Coverciano training center in Florence but the squad will convene there on Monday.

Protesters appeared to behave peacefully on the opposite side of the street from the soccer complex, holding aloft a banner that read in Italian, “Let’s stop Zionism with the resistance." A protest leader grabbed a microphone and shouted, “How can you still allow Israel, a Zionist and criminal state, to play soccer games?”

Dozens of protests have erupted across Italy since Wednesday night, after the Israeli navy intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, detaining its activists.

On Friday, workers and students took to the streets after the country’s largest unions called for a one-day general strike in solidarity with the Palestinians and the flotilla. Highways were blocked, hundreds of trains were cancelled or delayed, as were several domestic flights, and many private and public schools closed.

Clashes erupted briefly in Milan where protesters blocking the city’s ring road started throwing bottles at police, who responded with smoke bombs.

Italy played Israel in Udine last October in the Nations League. That game went off without incident amid a heavy police presence and despite a pro-Palestinian demonstration before the game. Italy won 4-1.

___

Italian Foreign Ministry calls for deportation of Gaza flotilla activists

By Fortunato Pinto

Published on 04/10/2025 - EURONEWS

At least four Italian citizens have been deported from Israel after the Global Sumud Flotilla's boats were intercepted by Israeli authorities.

Italy's Foreign Ministry has called on Israel to speed up the deportation process for Italian activists detained in Israel after they were intercepted as part of boats sailing in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza.

At least four Italian parliamentarians travelling as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) have already been deported. More than 470 people — of various nationalities — were detained in total, Israeli police said.

On Saturday morning, the Italian Foreign Ministry said members of its embassy in Israel had visited the activists who are "well, even if they are tired by a month spent at sea and by the two days of profound stress coinciding with the military operation against the boats."

"The consular team reported that the detention conditions in the prison are particularly uncomfortable," a statement from the foreign ministry said. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has requested an inspection and improvement of detention conditions.

Italy is working to speed up the deportation process, which will be particularly fast "for those compatriots who have decided to sign the deportation order proposed by the Israeli authorities."

The flotilla's interception sparked protests around the world, including a one-day general strike in Italy that delayed hundreds of trains, several domestic flights and shuttered schools.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather in front of the Colosseum in Rome, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

'Provocation'

The detentions come as the last boat of the GSF convoy, the Marienette, was intercepted by Israeli authorities on Friday.

The Marinette had been trailing behind the rest of the vessels and was still sailing on to the Palestinian territory in the early hours of Friday, a day after the Israeli navy stormed 41 other boats and detained the activists, saying they would be deported.

A livestream from the Marinette showed the moment Israeli troops boarded the vessel.

Israel's Foreign Ministry has called the flotilla's actions a "provocation" and argued that the flotilla was attempting to "enter an active combat zone" and breach a "lawful naval blockade."

The ministry said “all the passengers are safe and in good health. They are making their way safely to Israel, from where they will be deported to Europe.”

The activists have said the boats' interception was illegal and alleged they have been treated poorly by Israeli authorities.

Portuguese activist Mariana Mortágua allegedly sent a message to her family saying that she was held without food for 48 hours. According to local media, the Portuguese consul in Israel visited the four activists held and confirmed they were "'in good health, despite the difficult and harsh conditions upon arrival at the port of Ashdod and in the detention centre."

Three Polish citizens who were taking part in the flotilla have been offered an accelerated procedure to leave Israel and return to Poland. They reportedly refused to sign a declaration amounting to they voluntary expulsion from Israel.

Marches in Rome, Barcelona and Madrid protest Israel's military campaign in Gaza

JOSEPH WILSON and PAOLO SANTALUCIA
Sat, October 4, 2025

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators pass in front of Rome's Colosseum, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, during a march calling for an end to the war in Gaza. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Italians and Spaniards marched in Rome, Barcelona and Madrid on Saturday against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in a show of growing international anger over the two-year-old war.

The protests in almost every major Spanish city had been planned for weeks, while the demonstration in Rome followed widespread anger after the Israeli interception of a humanitarian aid flotilla that had set sail from Barcelona in a bid to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory.

The protests across southern Europe come as Hamas said that it has accepted some elements of a plan laid out by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war, which has left Gaza’s largest city in famine and stirred accusations of genocide against Israel.

Rome’s police said that 250,000 people turned out, while organizers said that 1 million attended, for a second straight day of Italian demonstrations. Italy already saw more than 2 million people rally on Friday in a one-day general strike to support the Palestinians in Gaza.

In Spain, officials said that 100,000 people marched in Madrid and another 70,000 filled downtown Barcelona. Organizers of the Madrid march raised attendance to 400,000, while organizers in Barcelona said that 300,000 took part.

While the protests were peaceful, hours after the official Barcelona demonstration ended, there were clashes between police and several hundred people, some of whom vandalized stores and caused scenes of panic among shoppers and bystanders.

Spaniards were also called by activists to march in Valencia, Sevilla, Malaga and other cities.
Smaller rallies took place in Paris, Lisbon, Athens and Skopje, North Macedonia, and in London and Manchester, England.

Protests in Rome criticize Meloni

The protest in Rome that followed a route by the Colosseum was organized by three Palestinian organizations along with local unions and students.

At Piazza San Giovanni, protesters chanted and applauded the name of Francesca Albanese, an Italian who is the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories and a vocal critic of Israel.

Although the organizers had requested that only Palestinian flags be carried, there were some banners praising the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas. One read, “October 7, Day of Palestinian Resistance,” a reference to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel that sparked the war, while another large flag read “Death, death to the IDF,” a reference to the Israel Defense Forces. A group also chanted the same slogan, state broadcaster RAI reported.

Opposition lawmaker Riccardo Magi, secretary of the center-left Piu Europa (more Europe) party, who was among the marchers, took Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government to task for its refusal to recognize a Palestinian state, following the example of Spain, France, the U.K. and some other Western countries.

“Meloni cannot continue with this obscene victimhood: these are spontaneous demonstrations against the inaction and complicity of her government. She must acknowledge this and begin working diplomatically for peace,” Magi told Italian media.

Big rally in Barcelona

Spain has seen an upsurge of support for Palestinians in recent weeks while its left-wing government intensifies diplomatic efforts against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government. Protests against the presence of an Israeli-owned cycling team repeatedly disrupted the Spanish Vuelta last month, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the destruction in Gaza a “genocide” and asked for the ban of all Israeli teams from international sporting events.

The day of protests kicked off in Barcelona as people packed the wide Passeig de Gracia, the city’s main central boulevard, before noon. Many families turned out along with people of all ages, carrying Palestinian flags. Hand-held signs bore messages like “Gaza hurts me,” “Stop the Genocide,” and “Hands off the flotilla.”

More than 40 Spaniards, including a former Barcelona mayor, were among the 450 activists that Israel removed from the flotilla’s boats this week.

While the protests will likely not sway Israel’s government, protesters hope they could inspire other demonstrations and encourage European leaders to take a harder line against Israel.

María Jesús Parra, 63, waved a Palestinian flag after making an hourlong trip from another town to Barcelona. She wants the European Union to act against what she described as the horrors she watches on TV news.

“How is it possible that we are witnessing a genocide happening live after what we (as Europe) experienced in the 1940s?” Parra said. “Now nobody can say they didn’t know what was happening.”

People in Madrid marched behind banners that read “Shame” and “Racist War, Free Palestine,” while chanting “Netanyahu (is a) Killer.”

Greek police believe a bigger gathering and march will take place Sunday to coincide with a pro-Israeli one. The two protests are separated by some 3 kilometers (2 miles) and police will be on hand to prevent the pro-Palestinian march to the Israeli Embassy, as as happened on previous occasions.

The war in Gaza started after Hamas’ attack in October 2023, which left around 1,200 people dead, while 251 others were taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has so far killed more than 67,000 people and wounded nearly 170,000 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government. U.N. agencies and many independent experts view its figures as the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

___

Netanyahu ordered drone attacks on Gaza-bound humanitarian boats, sources say

James LaPorta
Fri, October 3, 2025

Washington — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly approved military operations on two vessels early last month that were part of a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying aid and pro-Palestinian supporters, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, CBS News has learned.

Two American intelligence officials briefed on the matter told CBS News that Israeli forces on Sept. 8 and 9 launched drones from a submarine and dropped incendiary devices onto the boats that were moored outside the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said, causing a fire. The officials spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on national security matters.

Under international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict, the use of incendiary weapons against a civilian population or civilian objects is prohibited in all circumstances.

Israel has enforced a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip for more than a decade, first declaring the restriction in January 2009, when its navy announced the closure of the coastal waters to all maritime traffic. The move came some two years after Hamas took control of the region following a brief but violent civil war with the rival Fatah party, the political and military organization of Arab Palestinians, officially known as the Palestinian National Liberation Movement.

The Israel Defense Forces didn't respond to CBS News' request for comment.

The Global Sumud Flotilla organized the international maritime initiative that aims to break through Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and provide aid to the war-torn territory.

On Sept. 8, an incendiary device was dropped onto the Family, a Portuguese-flagged vessel. The Global Sumud Flotilla told CBS News that on the night prior to the attack, Portuguese lawmaker Mariana Mortágua was on board. The activists believe the perpetrators deliberately waited until "elected officials or high-profile figures were absent," the group said in a statement to CBS News on Friday.

On Sept. 9, the Alma, a British-flagged vessel, was attacked in a similar manner as the Family. In both cases, the group said last month that the boats were damaged by the fire but the crew was able to extinguish the flames quickly. No one was killed or injured.

A screengrab from handout CCTV footage shows a fire that struck the Alma, a vessel of the Global Sumud Flotilla, in the waters off the coast of Tunisia, Sept. 9, 2025. / Credit: Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via ReutersMore

"Confirmation of Israeli involvement would not surprise us; it would simply lay bare a pattern of arrogance and impunity so grotesque that it cannot escape eventual reckoning," the Global Sumud Flotilla said in its statement Friday.

The statement added: "Whether the purpose of these attacks was to kill us, scare us away, or disable our boats, they recklessly endangered civilians and humanitarian volunteers. The world must take note: attempts to silence, intimidate, or obstruct our commitment to the Palestinian cause and people will not succeed. We call for urgent, independent investigations into these attacks and full accountability for those responsible."

In September, Tunisian authorities disputed that drones dropping incendiary devices caused the fire, instead claiming that an initial inspection indicated the explosion originated inside the boat, according to BBC News. Pro-Israeli accounts on social media claimed the fires were started after the activists did not use a flare gun properly.

Footage released by the Global Sumud Flotilla and obtained by CBS News appears to show a ball of flames falling onto the boat, sparking the fire on board, instead of the fire originating from inside the vessel. The stationary cameras affixed to the vessels do not capture where the flames originated from prior to landing on the boat nor do they depict a flare gun being fired.

In separate incidents in late September, the activist group said they were attacked by 15 low-altitude drones while sailing south of Greece. The Global Sumud Flotilla said at least 13 explosions were heard on and around several flotilla boats and objects were dropped on at least 10 boats, causing damage. While no casualties were reported, the activist group said that their communications systems were also disrupted.

This week, Israeli naval forces intercepted most of the vessels bound for Gaza, detaining dozens of activists along with Thunberg and several European lawmakers, a move that drew swift international criticism.

American citizens travelling on the flotilla have also been detained by Israel. A State Department official told CBS News that the department was monitoring the situation and is committed to providing assistance to U.S. citizens. The official also called the flotilla a "deliberate and unnecessary provocation," particularly as the Trump administration continues to seek a negotiated solution to end the war in Gaza.

Two Americans sailing with the Global Sumud Flotilla include Marine Corps veteran Jessica Clotfelter and Greg Stoker, organizer of the veterans' delegation to the group. On Wednesday, they spoke via Zoom to CBS News Chicago roughly an hour before the Israeli navy intercepted the flotilla.

"We are a civilian aid mission, trying to break the siege into Gaza, and we are carrying humanitarian aid in accordance with international humanitarian and maritime law," said Stoker.

Clotfelter told CBS News Chicago that the images that have been coming out of Gaza for the last two years have been "heartbreaking" and "gut-wreching."

She added: "I mean, I've cried probably every single day on this boat as the violence since we've taken off on 31 August has escalated."

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment