The city of Messina stops and takes to the streets in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla, the international mission of humanitarian aid for Gaza abroad in international waters by the Israeli navy. The reactions did not wait: the CGIL proclaimed the national general strike for tomorrow, Friday 3 October, while the students of the Udu Messina, together with the Coordination Messina Palestine, have occupied a university classroom transforming it into a comparison and denunciation space.
General strike and city procession
CGIL has announced the national general strike of all sectors, public and private, for the whole day of Friday 3 October. In Messina the procession will start at 9:30 from Piazza Antonello and will cross Corso Cavour, via Tommaso Cannizzaro and via Garibaldi to end in the European Union square.
“The aggression against civil ships transporting citizens and Italian citizens represents a fact of extreme gravity, a blow inflicted on the constitutional order itself,” said the CGIL, denouncing abandonment by the Italian government of the compatriots embarked.
The Secretary General of the CGIL Messina, Pietro Patti, reiterated that “the strike is the strong response of the world of work, to defend the humanitarian mission, human rights and the freedom of the Palestinian people”.
The occupation of students at the University of Messina
At the same time, the students and students of the Udu Messina, together with the Coordination Messina Palestine, occupied the exhibition classroom of the Decam department of the University of Messina, starting at 9 today. The initiative was organized as a gesture of solidarity towards the flotilla and as a report of the attack immediately.
In the last few hours, in fact, several boats of the mission have been intercepted by the Israeli Navy less than 70 miles from Gaza, with the use of deafening bombs and water jets. 21 ships are currently stopped.
Emanuele Carlo, coordinator of Udu Messina, said: “Today we occupy this space because we cannot remain spectators while an attack against volunteers and civilians are consumed that bring help to the Palestinian people under siege”. The occupation, he added, is not a symbolic gesture but “with a strong political value” and will continue in the coming weeks with awareness initiatives in all departments.