[Italy] General strike against the war (May 20, 2022)

ROME Demonstration

Thousands of people took part in the general and social strike demonstration on 20 May in Rome against the war, the war economy and the war government, called by grassroots and conflictive trade unionism. USI CIT, among the initiating unions together with CUB, Cobas Sardegna, Adl Varese, Unicobas, Sgb, started a united path of struggle that led to a national assembly on 9 April in Milan and on 8 May to the occupation of Viale delle Province in Rome, opening up to the participation and contribution of many other organisations of grassroots trade unionism, workers, women workers and pensioners who have joined the active social realities, committees, associations present in the territories, such as the No Muos movement in Sicily, the Movement for the Right to Housing in Rome, the Regional Health Coordination (RM), the Antimilitarist Assembly, the Kurdistan Italy Network, Mothers for Rome Open City, etc.

On the 20th of May, presences, leafleting and demonstrations took place all over the country, in about 24 cities and towns, Milan, Trieste, Monfalcone, Cagliari, Palermo, Naples and beyond. In particular, the demonstration in Rome had an important presence of USI CIT with delegations from the sections of USI CIT Roma Pinelli, USI CIT Perugia – Trasimeno and Unione Contadina – USI CIT, which participated from the unitary truck and demonstrated together with other libertarian realities that were present.

The decision to take sides and participate in the ongoing conflict in the centre of Europe by sending (secret) arms, the record reached in our country of military expenses and servitude, the VAT annulled on arms, and more clearly demonstrated the intention not to facilitate the diplomatic way to solve the disputes. Spending diverted from urgent social needs, such as health, education, emergency housing, environment, transport, restrictions on freedom of association and freedom to strike, combined with war inflation, will only further worsen the living conditions of workers, pensioners, students and the general public, who are struggling to recover from two years of pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis.

Once again, the cost of living and the economic and social consequences will add to the already difficult situations of the working classes, and funds for arms and defence will be taken away from the world of work and young people, among whom precariousness and unemployment have become a growing constant.

In the self-organised streets from below on 20 May we gave voice to our opposition to the war, the economy and the government of war, a voice silenced by the mainstream media, because it is our conviction that welfare is a right and not a privilege.

Good fight to all!

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MILAN demonstration

The rank-and-file and conflictive trade unions promoting the general strike on 20 May marched from Largo Cairoli with the nationally agreed banner at the head of all the demonstrations of the day: Out of the war/Wage increases and social spending.

The united truck positioned itself at the exit, playing music and chants of struggle from the amplifiers, interspersed with speeches informing about the content of the shared platform. Other trucks, from individual organisations, performed similar functions. It was a very lively and very participatory procession, with slogans shouted against those responsible for the war and for the rights of the working class, coloured by the numerous banners of the participating rank and file unions, from CUB, SGB, Adl Varese, USB, the numerous Cobas organisations, from SI Cobas to Sol Cobas. Especially in the logistics sector, many workers stayed in the morning to picket the warehouses where there were ongoing disputes. The comrades of the USI CIT with their banners positioned themselves behind the banner reading ‘Revolutionary energy/ Against states, wars and capital’ together with the comrades of the Fai Milano and other libertarian components, promoting a red/black picket. There were a few flags of the Cub railway workers, who adopted the red/black colours with the wobbly inscription. Some USI comrades wore caps with the symbol of the Italian trade union and the cat to protect them from the sun. There were also those who distributed the newspaper Umanità Nova along the route, which had on its front page an article by one of our comrades about the strike.

There were also banners in the procession indicating the labour sectors or the location. There were banners of pacifist, environmental and cultural associations, as well as banners and flags of left-wing political parties and groups. The procession was a serpentine one with several thousand participants who walked through the streets of the centre, flanking Piazza Del Duomo until they reached Via Pantano, under the headquarters of Assalombarda where the final speeches were made. Cremaschi took the floor to greet the strikers and the demonstrators against the war, against the government which is in fact participating in it and increasing military expenditure while salaries and pensions are being penalised by the constant rise in the cost of living as a result of the war.

A representative of the CUB then spoke, highlighting the numerous demonstrations taking place all over Italy, the result of the united strike of grassroots trade unionism, not as an end point, but with the prospect of continuing the journey with the same united strength. A representative of USI CIT spoke, pointing out how all the media had put on their helmets in support of the war government. A government which, if it thinks it can silence us with an annual bonus of 200 euros, is simply ridiculous and which, to testify to its vocation for war, finds nothing better than to proclaim a day in memory of the Alpine troops on the anniversary of their aggression in the second war against Ukraine itself. So while he condemns Ukraine’s current aggression, he is rewarding our military for the same. This was followed by an intervention by an SGB representative, who reiterated the united course of the strike, especially in terms of the same content. This was followed by an intervention by Slai Cobas.

On 20 May there was a strike and a demonstration against the greatest injustice that governments and employers can impose on us: that of a war brought to the heart of Europe, which, like all wars, causes the killing of innocent people, destruction and populations forced to flee. They talk about defending democracy, but they hide their dirty interests in the grabbing of energy sources such as gas and oil, interests that are taken by the industrialists and arms dealers who stoke the fires because they make maximum profits from wars.

There have been strikes and demonstrations against the war economy. They talk about sanctions, but the sanctions are only paid for by the workers, pensioners and the unemployed who are forced to suffer uncontrolled price rises and job losses.

There were strikes and demonstrations against the war government, which participates by sending weapons that encourage the massacres already underway, which sends military missions to war zones, which decides to increase military spending while cutting social spending, which proposes a return to coal instead of the ecological transition promised because of the war.

All this brings us closer to the possibility of a third world war with catastrophic consequences for the whole of humanity.

This strike and these mobilisations that have taken place all over Italy have finally seen all the ranks of grassroots and conflict trade unionism united, sending a strong and important signal against the war and the interests that sustain it, against military spending and in favour of necessary social spending. Above all to demand adequate wages and pensions, the restoration of the escalator, the guarantee of an adequate income for all.

This is only the beginning, because the united way will continue in mobilisations until the just demands are adequately met.

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Thousands in BOLOGNA against war

Today a general and social strike called by the rank and file and conflictive trade unionism, which was attended by thousands of workers, political and social solidarity realities, average students fighting against the alternation of school and work, Palestinian youth and many, many others at the Bologna square joined to say No to the war. Stores and production centres closed, schools closed, local public transport stopped, tens of thousands of people on our territory joined the strike against the war, the war economy and the war government, yes to the increase of social expenses.

More than twenty squares were mobilised simultaneously all over Italy with demonstrations and garrisons in front of NATO military bases.

The demonstration in Bologna started from Piazza XX Settembre with a banner carried by the workers of the organising trade unions that read: No war, increase wages and social spending.

The demonstration continued along Via Amendola and Via Marconi, where, in front of the trade union headquarters of the Cisl and CGIL, there was a succession of speeches by workers who underlined the importance of the general strike and condemned the trade union policies aimed at not upsetting the Draghi government, the government of war, despite the fact that the vast majority of workers throughout the country are in favour of an immediate end to cobelligerence.

In Via Barberia they also protested against Confindustria, which is trying to make the workers pay the price for the crisis and the war economy.

The demonstration ended under the windows of the City Hall where the party of war, responsible for an unprecedented attack on the living conditions of the popular sectors destined to pay for its belligerent madness, governs.

All speeches emphasised the great participation in the strike and demonstration, the unity of action against the war and the necessity to continue mobilising on the following slogans

– immediate cessation of arms shipments to Ukraine;

– immediate ceasefire

– cutting military spending and transferring these resources to schools, transport and public health care

– freezing the prices of basic necessities (foodstuffs such as bread and pasta, electricity, water and gas tariffs, etc.);

– introduction of the escalator: automatic adjustment of wages to price increases;

– reduction of working hours for the same wages and a new freeze on redundancies to contain the next waves of unemployment.

– a decent social income for all unemployed people

OUT OF THE WAR IN ITALY

Increase wages and social spending

grassroots and conflictual trade unions

REGGIO EMILIA demonstration for the general strike against the war, the war economy, the government of war

More than 250 people animated the procession that started from Porta Santa Croce and went along Via Roma, Via Emilia, Via Vittorio Veneto, Stradone del Vescovado and Piazza San Prospero, enveloping the city centre on a sunny and market morning. A communicative procession opened by the grassroots trade unions, and animated by the numerous associations and individuals who handed out leaflets, launched slogans, performed and intervened along the route. The interventions in Piazza San Prospero at the end of the route were clear and decisive. Neither with Putin nor with NATO, on the side of the peoples who suffer from wars, for a future without armies and borders, for more investment in social policies and the abolition of military spending. Against the patriarchal model that finds its expression and reproduction in war. In support of deserters and deserters from all wars.

The strike was also reflected in the world of work: several schools closed, good support in municipalities and provinces, in services such as universities, public transport and health. Entire classes outside schools and blockades in some local enterprises.

Political and social realities in the area participated in the strike support committee: Alternativa Libertaria Reggio Emilia – Independent Architects – Antimilitarist Assembly of Reggio Emilia – Circolo “Giovanna Caleffi” Bassa Reggiana – LouiseMichel Collective – Amata Rossa Choir of Casa Bettola – Popular Kitchens – Libertarian Women – Anarchist Federation of Reggio Emilia – FAI – Humans-Feminism, Lgbtq and More Reggio Emilia – Free Assange Movement Reggio Emilia – Non Una di Meno – Reggio Emilia – Party of Communist Refoundation, Reggio Emilia section – R. E.C.E. of Reggio Emilia – R.E.C. – Reggio Emilia in the Municipality – Section of the Italian Left of Reggio Emilia – They Romanò Reggio Emilia – A group of members of the CGIL of Reggio Emilia.

The day continued at 4 p.m. at Porta San Pietro with the planting of two cherry trees for Paride Allegri, partisan, pacifist and anti-militarist who played an important role in all the strikes organised by grassroots trade unionism since the 1990s.

At 6 p.m. in Piazza Prampolini, the initiative Artist* for Peace, Music of Struggle and Movements was very much appreciated and managed to involve a large audience and onlookers.

Then the Amata Rossa Choir of the Casa Bettola closed the event amidst collective singing and applause.

The long day of strike ended with a dinner for the strikers at the Circolo Berneri, with 100 bottles of bright red