From Barcelona to Brasília: global outrage is pressuring governments after the interception of aid to Gaza.
Italy brought to a standstill by general strike: two million demand an end to ‘genocide’ after the flotilla raid
The Israeli army’s interception of the “Global Sumud Flotilla” has sparked a wave of worldwide outrage, materializing in mass protests that have filled streets across the globe since Thursday. According to Público.es, thousands gathered in Spanish cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Palma, and Logroño to support the detained activists, chanting slogans such as “Hands off the Flotilla” and “This is not a war, it’s genocide.” In Barcelona, organizers said representatives from ERC, CUP, Comuns, and the PSC joined the march, which saw moments of tension and arrests as some protesters attempted to block traffic.
Watch Milenio TV report: “The world reacts to Israel’s actions against the humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza”
The Barcelona protest returned with even greater force on Saturday, in a demonstration described as “massive” by the Agencia EFE.
Organizers said the turnout reached 300,000. Natàlia Abu‑Sharar, president of the Palestinian Community of Catalonia, told the crowd that proposed peace plans are “a smokescreen to continue killing the Palestinian people.” In a family-friendly march, many wore black as a sign of mourning. Backed by more than 600 organizations, demonstrators demanded an end to what they called “genocide,” an arms embargo on Israel, and the severing of relations with the Israeli state, while chanting “Boycott Israel” and “Free Palestine.”
However, the European epicenter of the mobilization was Italy, where, according to La Jornada de México, a nationwide general strike paralyzed the country and sent more than two million people into the streets to denounce the flotilla raid and the “genocide” in Gaza. The Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) hailed the day as a success, citing average national strike participation of 60% and more than 100 marches, with Rome hosting the largest at 300,000 people. In a country governed by Giorgia Meloni, the surge of people power caused traffic chaos in cities like Rome and Milan, where activists occupied the State University of Milan (La Statale).
Protests in Italy were marked by disruptive actions. La Jornada de México reported clashes with police at the Polytechnic University in Turin, while in Bologna, demonstrators forced their way onto a highway after confrontations with riot officers. In Pisa, protesters blocked the Florence–Livorno expressway, and in Perugia they occupied platforms at the central station. The dissent spilled into the sports realm as well, with gatherings in Florence outside the national team’s training center to demand suspension of the match against Israel.
Solidarity spread significantly across the rest of Europe. Público.es reported that in Berlin, five people were detained after throwing red paint at Germany’s Foreign Ministry, while in Marseille, more than a hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested for blocking the Eurolinks munitions factory, accused of supplying components to Israel. In Brussels, about 4,000 people, according to Belgian media, marched past EU institutions to demand an immediate end to the blockade of Gaza, underscoring the transnational nature of the demands.
Beyond Europe, the movement also resonated. Público.es highlighted a protest in Brasília, where students from the National Union of Students (UNE) demonstrated outside the Itamaraty Palace to urge President Lula da Silva to “cut ties with the terrorist state of Israel.” Meanwhile, in Barcelona, the mobilization appears to be just the prelude to a sustained protest: according to agencies, a group of young people is maintaining an encampment at Drassanes with the aim of remaining indefinitely until their demands are met, coordinating for a strike called for October 15.
