In Italy, thousands of workers recently took strike action in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the initiative attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, and against the ongoing massacre in Gaza. The following is based on reports from our comrades in Italy, who intervened in the strikes in a number of cities – below we also include a flyer they distributed on the day.

On 19 September, it was the CGIL trade union federation which called for work stoppages that lasted from two to four hours (the last hours of the day shift), depending on the category and location. On 22 September, it was the rank-and-file or grassroots unions, primarily the USB and the Genoa dock workers' collective CALP, as well as so-called civil society organisations (ANPI, ARCI, Emergency, and a whole galaxy of pacifist acronyms), which called for a one-day general strike. This time Si Cobas did not join, simply leaving its members free to choose whether or not to join the strike, instead calling for action on 3 October with much more explicit support for the so-called “Palestinian resistance” (in practice, though not openly, Hamas – let’s not forget that Si Cobas called 7 October 2023 one of the most shining examples of “anti-imperialist action by the oppressed masses”).

The strike of 19 September saw a relatively high level of worker participation, with strong participation in the demonstrations; the striking workers mostly belonged to the "blue-collar" world, that is, those employed in factories and similar sectors.The strike of the 22 September, however, was generally held by workers in the tertiary sector (various services, schools, transportation, etc.), that is, the sectors of dependent employment where grassroots unions are strongest. But beyond these sectors of the workforce, various civil society organisations and individuals not involved in any specific organisation, but rightly outraged by the devastation unfolding in Gaza, also participated. Participation was truly overwhelming, much higher than on 19 September and probably unexpected: in many cities, there were huge marches of thousands of people, in the larger cities, tens of thousands of people. In some cities, such as Bologna, Rome, and Florence, the marches walked along stretches of ring roads and highways, obviously blocking traffic (in Rome, however, stranded motorists expressed solidarity and greeted the protesters), despite the recent "security decrees" enacted by the government, which have increased penalties for those participating in roadblocks, pickets, and similar actions. In some cities, protesters briefly occupied the train station (Reggio Emilia) and blocked or attempted to block access to ports (Genoa, Marghera-Venice, Ancona, etc.). Only in a few cases, such as at the Milan train station or the Marghera port, were there clashes with the police (obviously exaggerated by the government and the press), in which, it seems (but this remains to be verified), young people of North African origin, second or third generation, took action, along with the usual "black bloc" crowd, but this was an infinitesimal fraction of the massive mass of people participating in the marches.

Needless to say, the content was marked by humanitarian pacifism and reformism, without a shred of proletarian, i.e., class, internationalism: Palestinian flags dominated unchallenged, accompanied by the usual slogans "Free Palestine", etc. The division of the working class by the unions was clearly visible: on one side were the Si Cobas workers (mostly immigrants), on the other those of the CGIL (mostly Italians), with little discussion. Battaglia Comunista intervened in various cities with a flyer, even though it obviously got lost in the tide of pro-Palestinian nationalism. In Reggio Emilia, flyers of the "Internationalist Committees Against War - for Class War" were also distributed (although not called a “No War but the Class War” committee, it essentially moves in the same direction).

No To War And To The Pacifism Of Bourgeois Dictatorships Of All Shades
Yes To Class War!

Proletarian internationalism is not a jumble of movements bringing together "individuals and peoples" of good will; it is not a "do-gooder" and ethical humanism that just appeals to reason against the wickedness of the evil bourgeoisie. We leave these things to the groups and organisations of a certain more or less radical left of which, for example, Si Cobas and other grassroots unions are part. It is certainly our duty to strike against any war, but not to support the emergence of another bourgeois state, which will inevitably be aligned with one of the imperialist blocs.

Expressing uncritical solidarity with the "Sumud Flotilla," a pacifist movement that, beyond the subjective humanitarianism of its participants, moves along the lines of bourgeois conservatism, means placing oneself at odds with class interests.

Expressing solidarity and using the symbol of the "intifada, until victory", while ignoring the role of Hamas, a fascist, fundamentalist, and anti-communist force — in short, a reactionary capitalist force that, along with the Israeli bourgeoisie, "has signed up to and continues to sign up to" the massacre of the dispossessed masses of Palestine — takes us down the road to counter-revolution.

Hamas is supported by Iranian imperialism, which in turn is aligned with Sino-Russian imperialism; it is financed by Qatar with the blessing of Netanyahu and the US, who had always turned a blind eye, until the 7 October showdown that provided Israel with the opportunity it sought to massacre tens of thousands of Gazans with unparalleled ruthlessness.

Such are the wars of capitalism and imperialism, which overwhelm and destroy everything when the supreme interest of capital is at stake: the god of profit. And while they weep false tears over the "atrocious" death of one of their followers (Charlie Kirk), accusing the sowers of hatred, their accomplices and cronies, who in turn administer the power of the ruling classes, they don't even flinch at the horrendous spectacle they stage every day, the killing of hundreds of thousands of proletarians in the 59 wars spread across the world. This isn't hatred; this is what they call love… for the homeland.

Homeland or state are the same thing. This is the magic word: two peoples, two states. To reclaim the state is to reclaim one's own chains: the state is nothing other than the violent or "democratic" organisation of the ruling classes! The nationalist self-determination of a capitalist state among capitalist states. The reigning imperialism of the global bourgeoisie controls every corner of social and economic life. Therefore, the historic task of the scattered revolutionary vanguards, wherever they may be, is to foster the emergence of organisations (parties) that are clear about the economic implications of contemporary imperialism, the actions of individual national bourgeoisies, and the tactical solutions to be adopted within the political framework imposed by bourgeois interests.

Only in this way can we contribute to preparing a future for all proletarians in the region (and the world). A future that has as its starting point the resumption of the class struggle against imperialist aggression, against the nationalist ambitions of the various bourgeoisies, for a revolutionary and communist solution to the current international crisis. But this future is destined to remain a dead letter if the political destiny of the proletariat is handed over to the most obtuse capitalist conservatism and the most ferocious anti-worker political system the Middle East can produce today. It is a difficult path, but there is no alternative.

No to capital's wars, yes to class war!

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