Protests were held in various cities across Italy, including Milan and Cagliari, on the day of the general strike organized by CGIL and UIL. The demonstrations took place to protest against government measures affecting public employment, healthcare, and public transport. An estimated 60,000 people gathered in Piazza del Popolo in Rome for the rally, which ended with the singing of ‘Bella ciao’ under the slogan “Enough is enough.”

The MIT issued a decree preempting public transport to reduce the duration of the strike, resulting in a confrontation between the government and unions. The Strike Guarantee Commission sent detailed documentation reiterating its position to both House Labor and Transport Commissions. CGIL and UIL announced their intention to appeal against the injunction. According to trade union surveys, over 70% participation was recorded in Central Italian regions.

In Rome, demonstrators wore colored jackets with their respective union logos. Piazza del Popolo featured a “cemetery” dedicated to workers who had died on the job during their protest against budget laws and government decisions. In his address, Maurizio Landini emphasized that students and workers should be present on streets to protect their rights and called for renewal of contracts for millions of workers who had not had contracts for years. Landini announced an extraordinary Perugia-Assisi March at the end of his speech.

PierPaolo Bombardieri addressed the crowd as well and called out safety issues that were being ignored by the government despite workers working long hours on weekends without any breaks or overtime pay. He urged attention towards workplace fatalities as they are often overlooked by employers while providing for basic needs such as food and shelter for families left behind after accidents or illnesses at workplaces occur due to negligence from management or lack of proper safety measures put into place by employers themselves.