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A piercing chorus of honking vehicles and dockworkers shouting “you are not welcome” greeted an Israeli-owned cargo vessel when it arrived in the Tuscan port city this week.

For two days, the striking port laborers refused to back down, refusing to unload and reload the ship’s cargo in a display of defiant solidarity for the people of Gaza and the Global Sumud flotilla striving to bring humanitarian assistance to the besieged territory. The action was a triumph and the ship, headed to the United States and Canada, departed.

Countrywide Port Protests Spread

From Genoa, Trieste and Ravenna in the northern region, to southern harbors in the southern area, in the past few weeks port workers across Italy have succeeded in blocking ships suspected to be transporting weapons for Israel, as opposition to the conflict in Gaza grows stronger.

The dockers’ determination to block weapons and disrupt commerce has been a key element of the solidarity movement in the nation as pressure increases on Giorgia Meloni’s conservative administration to take a stronger stance against Israel.

“Israel is carrying out an extermination of people in the Gaza Strip – by killing them, by starving them,” stated a dockworker, Luca Simoni. “We cannot remain indifferent. We have always been a port of welcome, not one of war. We will keep demonstrating until this hostilities ends.”

General Strike Adds Pressure

On Friday, many people took to the streets after Cgil organized the second general strike in under 14 days, closing schools, stalling traffic and causing disruption on mass transit and in medical services. There were also spontaneous protests on midweek after military vessels intercepted the flotilla and arrested hundreds of activists, including the prominent campaigner the environmental advocate.

The incident in Livorno was the initial instance an Israeli ship transporting general merchandise had been prevented from docking.

Popular Sentiment and Political Response

Latest polls show significant support among the public – including a substantial share of voters of the governing alliance – for the recognition of a Palestinian state and in support of the flotilla aid mission.

Meloni has criticised Israel’s killing of Palestinian people in the past few months, describing it as a “excessive” reaction to the militant group’s assault, and has expressed willingness to Italy recognising a sovereign Palestine, though with conditions. But she still attempts to maintain the delicate balance between being one of Israel’s staunchest allies in the EU and a ally of Middle Eastern countries, all the while aligning with the policies of the American leader, the former president.

Still, she is mindful of public opinion, especially with Italy in the throes of several regional elections, and has sought to use the demonstrations and flotilla to attack her political rivals.

Meloni has described the flotilla as “dangerous and irresponsible” and, despite the humanitarian mission involving many participants from different countries, she said it was only aimed at “creating problems” for her administration. Meloni criticized the national walkout, claiming participants of undertaking “a extended break masquerading as a political uprising” while claiming the event was politically orchestrated and provided little help to the people of Gaza.

“The current administration can only survive with someone to blame,” stated a union leader, who heads the Livorno unit of Cgil. “There is also a great contradiction between what Meloni claims and what she does,” he continued. “She talks about being a devoted nationalist, a religious person and a mother, but she has not undertaken any political or diplomatic action to halt the massacre of women and children.”

Government Standing Despite Unrest

But despite the widespread popular feeling shown through the wave of pro-Palestinian protests, the ruling party remains ahead in polls, at around 30%, and she has headed an unusually steady national administration since taking office in October 2022.

“On one hand, there is the larger part of the population in supporting Gaza which wants an cessation to the war,” said Lorenzo Pregliasco, a founder of YouTrend. “But you don’t see the effects of this when it comes to vote.”

Pregliasco referred to last week’s elections in the Marche region where Meloni’s coalition secured a another term. The similar result is expected in votes in Veneto and Calabria.

Pregliasco said there was “a real risk of the [Gaza] movement having too much of a leftwing identity, which would distance people who are horrified with the violence but who are not pro-Palestinian militants”.

Analyst Perspectives

A political scientist at an American university and the an Italian institution, said the explanation why the effects of the demonstrations were not being seen in elections was because only around fifty percent of Italian voters go to the polls.

“And those who do, support conservative parties,” she added, noting that the Prime Minister could easily use the unrest to disarm rivals.

She said every spontaneous movement of citizens was vulnerable to being infiltrated by antagonists, and alleged that this had been occurring in order to “criminalise and repress” the Gaza movement.

Medical Community Join

Susanna Romitelli in Rome, has joined multiple demonstrations in the city and marched in the rally near Piazza Vittorio on the strike day.

“Recently, there was an initiative held in Italy’s hospitals during which we honored the thousands of medics killed in Gaza while providing aid,” she said. “It was a very touching moment and we will keep organizing. You may not observe it in political polls yet, but I believe this administration is becoming very afraid of the people.”