At around 6pm GMT on 1 October, Israeli armed forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla of over 40 vessels which had been travelling towards Gaza to break the naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. By this morning, 2 October, the majority of the boats had been seized by Israel and their occupants, hundreds of people, have been illegally detained, and transported to Israel. Amongst those seized were Greta Thunberg, the former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, an Irish senator and many other political, trade union and solidarity movement figures and pro-Palestine activists.
This outcome was never in doubt. Israel would not allow its naval blockade of Gaza to be broken. But the Flotilla has become the focal point of a growing movement of solidarity with Palestine in numerous countries, most notably in Italy and Spain.
After nearly two years of live broadcast of the genocide in Gaza, and amidst a renewed murderous offensive on Gaza City by Israel, hundreds of thousands feel that it is no longer enough to show indignation but want to take direct action. Half a million came out on Monday last week in Italy at the call of the USB union under the slogan, “Let’s block everything”. They blockaded roads, harbours and train stations.
The pressure of public opinion was such that the right-wing Italian government and the ‘centre-left’ Spanish government were forced to send Navy ships “to aid and assist the flotilla”. It was a cynical gesture aimed solely at placating the masses on the streets.
On the eve of the Israeli assault, the ships told the Flotilla to turn around and to comply with Israeli orders, and then, when the solidarity activists refused, the naval ships – instead of aiding and assisting the Flotilla, which was still in international waters – turned around and left them to the mercies of the IDF assault.
As news of the interception of the Flotilla started to spread, thousands spontaneously descended onto the streets of Rome, Naples, Milan, Genoa, Florence, Bologna and many other cities and towns across Italy, and then moved to blockade train stations and harbours.
Last weekend, dockers at Genoa harbour had convened a pan-European dockers’ conference and put out the call for a boycott of trade with Israel. Already, ships transporting fuel and war material to Israel have been stopped at the Italian ports of Livorno, Ravenna, Taranto and Genoa by the combined direct action of dockworkers and their supporters from among the workers and youth in the local towns.
Italian dockers (and others who have taken similar action in Greece, Spain, France, etc) are showing the way forward. In a capitalist society, nothing moves without the permission of the working class. This power must be used in a practical way to boycott the Israeli war machine, which is supplied with parts, weapons, ammunition and fuel, by its western imperialist allies.
Hundreds also took to the streets at very short notice in Turkey, Belgium, Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and many other cities across Europe in protest at the Israeli assault on the Flotilla.
A national student strike had already been called across the Spanish state for 2 October, and we can expect not only massive demonstrations but also attempts to ‘block everything’.
In Italy, the USB trade union has called a protest general strike to take place on Friday 3 October, but this time they have been officially joined by the five million-strong CGIL, under pressure from its own rank and file and from the movement in general. Matteo Salvini, the deputy prime minister and minister of transport, has already threatened that the government “will not allow the country to be paralysed”. The stage is set for a major confrontation which will severely weaken the right-wing government.
A demonstration had already been planned for 4 October in Rome, which will certainly be huge. But already today, students are occupying schools and universities, thousands of worker and youth activists are blockading train stations and harbours, ahead of the big day tomorrow.
The mass movement in Italy has exploded over the question of Gaza, but reflects a deeper anger at the attacks of the right-wing government against the working class, the deteriorating conditions at workplaces, the erosion of education and healthcare, etc. The general strike in Greece yesterday had been called over the government’s proposed counter-reform of the labour law (to allow, among other things, a 13 hour working day), but Palestine flags were flown prominently at all demonstrations. The same is the case today in France, where another massive day of strike action against the government and its austerity measures has been called.
Millions of workers and youth are drawing the correct conclusion that the same governments which support the Israeli genocide in Gaza are attacking the working class at home. They need to be brought down.
This is the way forward: mass mobilisation, strikes, blockades and a coordinated workers’ boycott. The question of bringing down the western imperialist governments, which are complicit in the genocide, must be at the forefront of these protests. The working class must bring its full power to bear.
End the genocide! Free Palestine!
Down with the warmongers! Down with the war criminals!
Workers’ boycott of Israel – block everything!
For a Socialist Federation of the Middle East!
