Italy - September 21, 2025 On September 21, 2025, Extinction Rebellion and BDS staged a sit-in in Piazza Maggiore to protest Western complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Four protesters, representing the United States, Germany, France, and Italy, sat with their hands dipped in red liquid to symbolize bloodshed. Nearby, screens displayed harrowing images from Gaza. “Western countries have their hands stained with blood,” said Clelia, one of the demonstrators. “Countries like Italy and Germany, along with the U.S., cover nearly all arms supplied to Israel, while France and the U.K. fund economic and military activities through their banks.” The protest coincided with a UN report confirming continued acts of genocide in Gaza, and followed an Israeli ground invasion and heavy bombardment of Gaza City on September 15. While Italy has not authorized new arms contracts since October 2023, deliveries from existing agreements have continued, prompting local authorities in Ravenna to block containers of explosives after port protests. “Faced with an Italian government that continues to support the genocide of the Palestinian people in violation of international law, it is up to us to stop it,” Clelia added. The sit-in is part of a global action weekend from September 18 to 21, calling for mass disruption to end Western complicity. Demonstrators plan to return to the streets across Italy on September 22, aligned with a general strike supporting Gaza and the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission.