Despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, several Italian cities remain on edge as pro-Palestinian demonstrations continue. In Milan, Bologna, Turin, and Udine, hundreds of activists have kept the movement alive, chanting anti-Israel slogans and rejecting any agreement that does not include the dismantling of the Jewish state.
In Milan, hundreds marched from Porta Venezia to Piazza della Scala carrying banners depicting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Benjamin Netanyahu dressed as Mussolini and Hitler. The main chant, “Free Palestine from the river to the sea,” was accompanied by messages calling for Israel’s destruction. One poster read, “My dream is to see Netanyahu executed with his head held high.” Among Palestinian flags and far-left symbols, several participants held images of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas military leader killed by Israel last year and now portrayed as a martyr.
In Turin, nearly a thousand demonstrators gathered to support activists arrested in previous protests. Imam Mohamed Shahin sparked controversy after saying publicly, “I agree with what happened on October 7. We are not here to be violent, but what happened does not constitute a violation.” His words, met with applause, and there was no mention of the civilians murdered by Hamas.
Bologna also witnessed renewed unrest as students and researchers from the University of Bologna occupied Palazzo Hercolani, home to the Departments of Sociology and Political Science. The occupiers, organized under the group Spazio di Agitazione, demanded a total academic boycott of Israel and accused the Italian government of “collaborating in the genocide of the Palestinian people.” Their statement read, “The world is witnessing a genocide live while Rome keeps selling weapons to Tel Aviv.” Professors were urged to “join the movement by reshaping their classes in solidarity with Palestine.”
Authorities are now focusing on Udine, where a major protest is planned for Tuesday to coincide with the World Cup qualifier between Italy and Israel. Police expect up to 10,000 demonstrators and have strengthened security measures amid fears of clashes.
While the Middle East cautiously steps toward peace, Italy faces growing domestic polarization. None of the groups taking part in the demonstrations has condemned Hamas’s terrorist attacks or the murder of Israeli civilians. Instead, calls for boycott and defiance dominate university campuses and city streets, showing how the conflict in Gaza continues to echo far beyond its borders.
