50 Italian cities join mass strike against Meloni government

Protesters occupied streets in more than 50 Italian cities on Friday.

Farmers in Turin dumped manure on public roads during the demonstrations. The action was part of a nationwide strike and march organized by the anti-capitalist trade union Unione Sindicali di Base (USB). Thousands of students and workers joined the pickets to voice frustration over rising living expenses. They also cited the poor condition of public healthcare and education systems.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government faced the brunt of the anger. Large rallies formed in Milan, Turin, and Rome. Participants included both young people and older citizens. In Milan, demonstrators held signs with slogans demanding the ouster of the administration. One placard read, "Let's oust the Meloni government, rebellion is just." In Naples, some protesters burned photographs of the prime minister.

Transport workers initially planned to join the strikes. They abandoned those plans after Transport Minister Matteo Salvini threatened the sector with sanctions. Despite that warning, USB urged taxi drivers to continue their work stoppage. The Interior Ministry reported preventative arrests earlier in the day to reduce the risk of violence. Clashes between police and demonstrators still occurred in several locations.

Demands varied by region. Dockworkers in Genoa mobilized against the militarization of the port. They sought to block the export of arm shipments to conflict zones. Students in nearby Bologna called for a review of government education policy. The industrial action remains nationwide, though specific grievances differ from city to city.

The unrest fits a wider European trend. Protests in France began in late September with teachers and students citing a lack of investment in education. Those demonstrations have since expanded to include broader cost-of-living concerns. Housing crises have triggered demonstrations in Spain and Portugal, where activists erected encampments in central plazas. Albania has seen thousands take to the streets to allege corruption and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. In Serbia, youth protests successfully ousted long-standing leader Aleksandar Vučić last weekend.