Italy hit by nationwide general strike over living costs and public services

Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of more than 50 Italian cities on Friday, staging a nationwide general strike against soaring living expenses, low salaries, and deteriorating public services.

The widespread mobilization was organized primarily by the grassroots trade union Unione Sindacale di Base, drawing participants from both the public and private sectors. Major demonstrations were recorded in Rome, Milan, and Turin, where citizens of all ages voiced frustration toward Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her ruling right-wing administration.

In Turin, agricultural workers emptied piles of manure onto municipal roadways to voice their grievances. Placards in Milan called directly for the removal of the government, while demonstrators in Naples set fire to pictures of the prime minister. Alongside economic issues like the state of education and healthcare, anti-war sentiment featured prominently in several cities, with marchers carrying Palestinian flags and denouncing national military expenditures.

Local concerns shaped the demonstrations across different regions. In Genoa, port employees demonstrated against what they described as the militarization of the harbor, attempting to prevent the transit of Italian weapons shipments intended for overseas conflicts such as Israel. Meanwhile, student groups in Bologna directed their demands toward overhauling national educational policies.

Italy's transport sector had originally planned to participate in the walkout, but workers stepped back after Transport Minister Matteo Salvini warned of potential sanctions. The organizing union nonetheless encouraged taxi drivers to strike regardless of similar official warnings.

The Interior Ministry stated that authorities carried out preventative arrests prior to the demonstrations in an effort to suppress unrest. Despite isolated incidents—including an attempt by youths in Rome to ignite a trash bin, which fellow participants quickly doused—the marches remained mostly orderly and peaceful throughout the afternoon.

The actions in Italy coincide with broader economic unrest across the continent, where escalating living costs, housing shortages, and disputes over public sector funding have sparked large-scale protests in countries including France, Spain, and Portugal.