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Italy: Extinction Rebellion Storms Turin Motor Show In Protest Against War Profiteers

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Italy - September 27, 2025 On September 27th, Extinction Rebellion and Fridays for Future staged a powerful protest in Piazza Castello, disrupting the Turin Motor Show. The planned supercar parade was canceled to avoid confrontation. Activists marched under the slogan “From SUVs to Tanks, We Block Everything,” denouncing both the environmental and social costs of luxury cars and the presence of companies cited by the UN for involvement in the Palestinian genocide. Throughout the afternoon, demonstrators moved among the exhibition stands while thousands marched toward Caselle Airport. Protesters carried signs reading “Cities Are Not Playgrounds For The Rich,” “Luxury For Few, Smog For All,” and a stop sign labeled “Stop Genocide.” The march, initially headed to Caselle, was stopped by police using tear gas and water cannons. “This is the fourth consecutive year that Turin’s historic streets have been used to showcase polluting, high-cost vehicles. This year, the Motor Show also hosts companies involved in the genocide of the Palestinian people,” said Matilde of Extinction Rebellion. “In a city struggling with pollution, layoffs, and unemployment, and facing the tragedy in Gaza, if authorities do not act, we will.” The protest is part of a wider campaign that has blocked highways, stations, ports, and events across Italy to demand an end to Italian arms supplies to Israel and to support the Global Sumud Flotilla. The Motor Show hosts multinational companies such as Allianz and Hyundai, cited in a UN report for profiting from Israeli military operations. Hyundai Heavy Industries supplied machinery used in demolitions in Gaza, while Allianz invested in defense companies involved in the conflict. Extinction Rebellion also criticized the Motor Show itself, highlighting luxury vehicles accessible to only a tiny fraction of the population. “It is surreal that this happens in Turin, a city ravaged by pollution, inequality, and automotive layoffs, all supported by institutions,” Matilde added. Local public transport is near collapse, traffic is heavy, and 2,300 Stellantis employees are on extended layoffs while 600 were recently fired. “The government asked the Flotilla to change course; it is the government that must change course, stopping arms shipments to Israel and investing in a real, fair, and radical ecological transition,” the group concluded.

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