Tens of thousands of people marched Monday in more than 75 Italian cities, shutting schools, halting trains, and blocking ports in one of Europe’s largest nationwide protests against Israel’s assault on Gaza, recently declared a genocide by the UN. Grassroots unions organized the 24-hour general strike to denounce what they called the “inertia of the Italian and EU governments” in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Demonstrators flooded streets from Milan to Palermo, with dockworkers in Genoa and Livorno blocking ports over concerns that Italy served as a staging post for weapons bound for Israel, The Guardian reported. Nearby, political science student Alessandra cited a recent UN commission report accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Italy has rejected joining the recognition drive, with right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warning that recognizing a Palestinian state “on paper” before its establishment could prove counterproductive.