Italy general strike: thousands march in dozens of cities over living costs, school cuts and defence spending
Students and workers marched in dozens of Italian cities on October 30 under heavy security. Transport was largely spared, with minor scuffles in Turin.
At a glance
- Thousands of students and workers marched in dozens of Italian cities on Friday, October 30, during a 24-hour general strike called by the USB union and smaller groups.
- Protesters cited the cost of living, student rents, school budget cuts and rising defence spending under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
- Air, rail, local transport and ferries were excluded from the strike by order of the transport ministry, though later local reports should be checked before travel.
- Riot police lined the routes. Minor skirmishes occurred at the start of the Turin march, and no major clashes had been reported by midday.
Thousands of students and workers marched through dozens of Italian cities on Friday during a 24-hour general strike, demanding more school funding and relief from the cost of living, with riot police out in force. Marches took place in Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Bologna and Genoa, among others, and no major clashes had been reported by midday.
The strike was called by the grassroots USB union, with separate calls from smaller groups including USI-CIT, ADL Cobas and Cobas. It follows weeks of unrest led by students who have occupied schools and set up tent camps, in a movement fed by similar protests in France and Spain.
"More houses, not bombs": what the marchers want
The complaints are a mix of pay, rent and public spending priorities. "We need more houses, not bombs!" sang one group in Rome. Beatrice Chilelli, a 21-year-old university student in the capital, said students were at breaking point over tuition and rent, citing student rooms costing up to 1,200 euros a month.
| Group | Main demand |
|---|---|
| USB and grassroots unions | Higher wages, lower cost of living, no rearmament |
| School and university students | More funding, an end to teaching cuts, cheaper housing |
| Truck drivers, taxi drivers, farmers | Relief from the spike in fuel prices, less defence spending |
| Teachers and pensioners | Pay and pensions that keep up with prices |
Laura Teresi, an 18-year-old spokesperson for the OSA student movement, said ahead of the day that schools would empty out in a "massive" mobilisation against the rearmament policies of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government. Many pro-Palestinian flags were visible in major cities, and in Rome one group staged a brief performance about a bombing raid on Gaza.
Two tractors and a taxi past the Colosseum
Rome's march set off from Piazza dei Cinquecento outside Termini station at about 10:30 am, accompanied by two tractors and a taxi, then passed the Colosseum on its way across the centre. Police were posted heavily outside the Economy Ministry along the route.
Milan's organisers took a deliberately different path. The march also began at the central station but headed away from the city centre, where looting, vandalism and fighting with police broke out after a cost-of-living protest two weeks ago. Security had been stepped up around the cathedral. In Turin, a few minor skirmishes between protesters and riot police occurred at the start.
If you are travelling in Italy today
Transport was the most confusing part of the day. Earlier notices warned of disruption to trains and flights, but the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport then ordered air, rail, local public transport and maritime services out of the strike.
- Trains: scheduled to run normally, with some early listings for rail action from 9 pm on Thursday overtaken by the ministry order.
- Rome and Milan transit: Rome's ATAC had guaranteed bands in any case, and Milan's ATM was not listed as taking part.
- City centres: expect closed streets near Termini, the Colosseum and the Economy Ministry in Rome and around main stations elsewhere. The US Embassy advised its citizens to avoid demonstrations.
- Schools and offices: some schools and public offices may be closed or short-staffed.
Check the operator's site before leaving, because arrangements have changed several times.
Meloni's response and the budget fight ahead
After the October 17–18 clashes in Milan, Meloni's government toughened the law on public gatherings and eased the rules on detaining minors, measures opponents say target dissent. Her ministers argue that the draft 2027 budget, now under discussion, contains measures in favour of young people and families.
The unrest gives parliament's budget debate a sharper edge. Lawmakers must pass the 2027 budget by the end of the year, and the fuel prices driving some of Friday's anger depend largely on the war around the Strait of Hormuz, which is out of Rome's hands.
Questions people are asking
Are trains running in Italy on October 30?
Italy's transport ministry excluded air, rail, local public transport and maritime services from the strike, and trains and city transit were scheduled to run. Passengers should still check operators such as Trenitalia, Italo and local transit companies because marches can disrupt city centres.
Why is there a general strike in Italy?
The USB union and grassroots groups called it over wages, the cost of living and rearmament. Students joined over school funding, tuition and rent, after weeks of school occupations and tent camps.
