Dockworkers at Genoa’s key Mediterranean port joined a wider wave of labour unrest on Monday, halting operations to protest Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza. Under the rallying cry “Blocchiamo tutto” (“Let’s block everything”), Italy’s rank-and-file unions, alongside students and other workers, staged coordinated strikes that rippled through public transport and forced closures of schools and universities nationwide.

In Genoa, protesters blocked vital access routes to the port and brandished Palestinian flags, underscoring the political overtones of the action. This demonstration is part of a broader European pattern: dockworkers in Marseille, Gothenburg, and Piraeus have recently impeded shipments linked to Israel, signalling growing solidarity among labour groups across the continent.

Italy’s Adriatic port of Ravenna notably barred two trucks suspected of carrying explosives destined for Haifa, marking a concrete instance where labour action intersected with national security concerns.

These protests coincide with diplomatic shifts elsewhere: Canada, Britain, and France have each announced recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that has galvanized pro-Palestinian activists across Europe. For now, the strikes serve as a potent reminder of how geopolitics can swiftly entangle supply chains, labour activism, and regional security dynamics.