Politics · Italy · 1 hr ago
Students and workers protest rising costs across Italy
On Friday, students and workers joined protests across Italy during a 24-hour general strike called by base unions.
Demonstrations took place in cities including Rome, Milan, Turin, Venice, Mestre, Treviso and Padua.
Protesters raised concerns about rising living costs, insecure work and access to housing, as well as conditions in schools and public services.
Many called for higher wages and more investment in education, health care and other public services, while opposing increased military spending.
In Venice and Mestre, thousands took part in marches, and traffic and some bus services were disrupted; public transport was not included in the strike.
In Mestre, police stopped marchers from continuing along a restricted route, and some people were injured in a brief attempt to get through, while the Venice march ended without reported tension.
The protests were part of a wider national day of demonstrations, with events also reported in other Italian cities.
Protests took place across Veneto on Friday, 30 October, during a national general strike.
Students, workers and other groups demonstrated in Venice, Mestre, Treviso, Padua and Castelfranco Veneto.
They protested the rising cost of living, precarious work and reduced access to housing and public services.
In Mestre, police stopped a march at an intersection after authorities barred it from proceeding further; some people were reported injured.
Public transport was excluded from the strike, though demonstrations caused traffic disruption in Venice and Mestre.
- Who
- Students, workers, unions and other local groups took part.
- What
- They held marches and demonstrations during a 24-hour national general strike.
- When
- Friday, 30 October 2026.
- Where
- Across Veneto, including Venice, Mestre, Treviso, Padua and Castelfranco Veneto.
- Why
- They protested the cost of living, precarious work, housing access and public services, among other issues.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Marches were scheduled to begin in Mestre’s Piazzale Cialdini and Venice’s Campo Santa Margherita.
The Mestre march was stopped by a police cordon at the intersection with Via Torino, and a brief attempt to break through was repelled.
The Venice march proceeded from Piazzale Roma towards Rialto and ended in Campo San Giacomo without reported tensions.
- Strike duration
- 24 hours
- Mestre march
- More than 1,000 participants
- Venice march
- About 1,000 participants
- Mestre gathering point
- Piazzale Cialdini
- Venice gathering point
- Campo Santa Margherita
- Public transport
- Excluded from the strike by the guarantee commission
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What people are saying
They described us as disillusioned, but we are here for a better future.
A cost of living that is ever higher, a right to education that is ever less guaranteed, work that is ever less paid and more precarious, access to the housing market that is ever more prohibitive, and public healthcare that is ever less accessible.
We do not accept that money is found for weapons, but not for schools, universities and public services.