General strike in Italy: packed squares and clashes in Rome and Turin

The general strike called by the grassroots union USB brought students, workers, pensioners and precarious workers onto the streets of more than sixty Italian cities on Friday. Protesters called for an end to the rush toward rearmament and for action on the rising cost of living. Children were among the crowds too, some in strollers, others holding their parents' hands. One sign read: "Ho 10 anni e sciopero per il mio domani" (I am 10 years old and I am striking for my future).

Farmers, housing movements, pro-Palestinian groups and several unions also took part. In Bari, firefighters demonstrated to demand more resources for their work. In Rome, a dancer performed in front of the Ministry of Education to the tune of "Bella ciao".

Peaceful marches, then evening tensions

Most marches went ahead without incident, with demonstrators and police never coming into contact. In the evening, however, the situation deteriorated in Rome and Turin. In the capital, a group broke away from the main march near the Colosseum, threw objects at police and set fire to rubbish bins; police responded with a charge. Fresh tensions flared later at Ponte Sisto and along the Tiber in Testaccio, where water cannon were used to disperse the crowd. Eight people were detained.

In Turin, eggs and bottles were thrown, and water cannon and tear gas were used near the prefecture and in the historic centre. Injuries were also reported in Mestre and Vicenza, where marches tried to force their way through police lines.

Estimates of the number of participants vary widely. USB put the figure at a million and a half, highlighting a strong presence of young people and students, and said the mobilisation would continue. The Interior Ministry counted 255,000. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the right to demonstrate peacefully had been guaranteed, despite some violent incidents.

The protest also reached the ports, with a union action against the arms trade involving more than a hundred ports in 17 countries. In Genoa and Naples, students and workers entered port areas without incident.

Behind the numbers and the clashes lies the question raised by protesters: the choice between investing in weapons or in public services and wages. A question that also concerns those who, like firefighters or precarious workers, are asking for more resources for their everyday work.