Pro-Palestine riots erupt across Italy (VIDEO)

Demonstrations and violent riots have erupted across Italy in support of Palestine and against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, which has so far rejected calls to recognize Palestinian statehood.

The unrest comes as a number of countries, such as the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, formally recognized Palestine in recent days, with France expected to follow suit at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

Protests across the country demanded Italy suspend commercial and military ties with Israel. In Milan, protesters smashed the glass doors of the city’s Central Station and set fire to a US flag near the American consulate, prompting police to use tear gas. Protest organizers claimed over 30,000 people participated in a demo in the capital, while rallies across the country shut down ports in Genoa, Livorno, and Marghera and blocked highways in Bologna and Tuscany.

Meloni condemned the demonstrations as “shameful,” writing on X that the violence “has nothing to do with solidarity” and would only harm Italian citizens.

The prime minister has insisted that Italy backs a two-state solution but argued recognition of Palestine “before it is established” would be “counterproductive.” Italy remains one of Israel’s closest allies in the EU, citing historical responsibility, security cooperation, and pro-Atlantic foreign policy.

The UNGA this month overwhelmingly supported a resolution backing a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. The US and Israel opposed the measure, joined by a handful of small Pacific island nations.

The war began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage. Israel responded with a blockade and large-scale military campaign in Gaza, where local health authorities say more than 65,000 people have been killed and which an independent UN commission found to constitute genocide.