Italian activists escalate Mediterranean port protests over Gaza genocide
Italian activists escalate Mediterranean port protests over Gaza genocide
Pro-Palestinian activists have launched a new campaign at the port of Gioia Tauro in southern Italy aimed at disrupting military supplies involved in the Gaza genocide.
The new action dubbed “Global Intifada Disarm” was launched during a maritime and land demonstration at the port as five boats from the Thousand Madleens to Gaza initiative approached the Calabrian port in a symbolic protest against Italy’s war economy and supply chains.
The 29 May mobilisation, called by grassroots trade unions and the Movement of Young Palestinians in Italy, saw demonstrations across the country, from ports and logistics hubs to factories identified by campaigners as being linked to military production and supply chains connected to Israel.
In Calabria, the focus was Gioia Tauro, one of the Mediterranean’s most important ports.
The maritime component began the day before, when vessels departed from the nearby port of Cetraro and sailed towards Gioia Tauro.
“We are maintaining a presence at the port of Gioia Tauro to denounce the collaboration of the Italian government, institutions and multinational corporations, particularly MSC [Mediterranean Shipping Company], in the genocide of the Palestinian people,” said Antonio Viteritti of La Base Cosenza, speaking from the Global Intifada boat.
He said 16 containers carrying dual-use ballistic steel, which can be used in missile production, were currently being held on the docks of this port.
“For months we have been reporting the presence of this material, yet we have received no response regarding a definitive halt from the authorities,” he added.
“We also recall that two shipments of weapons destined for Israel were seized in this port one year ago.”
Two days before the mobilisation, boycott and divestment campaign BDS Italy informed trade unions and local networks that the container vessel MSC Manasvi was expected to arrive in Gioia Tauro to load eight containers that had previously been placed under scrutiny.
According to campaign organisers and activists on board, the ship remained offshore for several hours before turning back to sea without taking on the containers.
The episode added to concerns raised by campaign groups about the movement of military-related and dual-use cargo through the Calabrian hub.
Earlier this year, the No Harbour for Genocide campaign, supported by BDS Italy, raised concerns about a shipment of ballistic steel originating in India and transported on vessels operated by MSC, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies and operator of Gioia Tauro’s main terminal, as reported by the Italian magazine Altreconomia.
Following those reports, Italy’s Finance Police and Customs Agency inspected eight containers at the port on 18 March.
Authorities launched technical assessments to determine whether the material was intended for civilian use, dual-use applications or military purposes.
Following the inspections, Five Star Movement MP Stefania Ascari submitted a parliamentary question calling for government clarification regarding the shipment and the controls carried out at the port.
“It was important to keep the spotlight on Gioia Tauro because media attention and public pressure are what prevent these containers from being moved quietly to Israel months later, at night, without anyone knowing – as may have happened in the past without our awareness,” said Peppe Marra, regional secretary of the USB union in Calabria.
His remarks reflect broader concerns among unions and solidarity groups about transparency and accountability in the management of strategic port infrastructure and the movement of cargo ships.
Calabrian activists also argue that challenging military supply chains is closely linked to wider issues of labour exploitation and economic inequality in southern Italy.
“The Mediterranean is not Israel’s, it is ours. It belongs to all those communities in the Global South that struggle every day for dignified work, quality healthcare, safe territories that are increasingly affected by climate change, and above all for a world free from war,” said Roberto Panza of La Base Cosenza, speaking aboard one of the vessels.
“From Calabria, we are launching a call to action called Global Intifada Disarm, which aims to act within territories to disrupt military supply chains and map all ports and cargo vessels transporting military or dual-use materials.”
The 29 May strike formed part of a wider wave of mobilisation in Italy since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza and the departure of the Global Sumud Flotilla last autumn.
In recent months, demonstrations, university occupations, dockworkers’ actions and solidarity initiatives have taken place across the country, involving students, workers and grassroots unions.
Organisers describe a growing convergence between labour struggles and pro-Palestinian mobilisation across different sectors of society.
In Gioia Tauro, organisers framed the protest as part of this broader pattern of mobilisation, combining opposition to the genocide with demands for greater transparency over the movement of military and dual-use goods through Italian infrastructure.
المصدر: Middle East Eye