Coordination and Distant Echoes
Amid renewed tensions over Gaza, dockworkers in Genoa and other Italian ports have announced protests aimed at hindering shipments linked to arms through Italy’s main logistics hubs. Genoa, together with Livorno and La Spezia, stands as a crucial node for moving weapons and related equipment. The action is part of a broader wave that has seen similar messages circulated by dock workers in Belgium, Barcelona, and other locales, with protests touching ports in the United States and Australia as well. Some groups have threatened to block ships loaded with weapons bound for Israel, seeking to disrupt the flow of armaments from these hubs.
In Genoa, where protests have recurred since 2019, the objective is to slow or halt port operations. The city’s civilian infrastructure supports both the export of Italian-made arms and the docking of vessels from abroad that would bring armaments to ship routes across the Mediterranean. The next sit-in, backed by several smaller leftist formations, is planned to begin at six in the morning on November 10. Dock workers intend to close one access point to prevent ships from entering the harbor for approximately seven hours.
“We do not want to be accomplices,” said José Nivoi, a member of the CALP collective and head of the Seas and Ports section of the USB union, echoing the group’s stance as reported by Prensa Ibérica. The discussion centers on the ethical dimension: the same concerns raised by many in Israeli society about the influence of gun lobbies over political decisions. Riccardo Rudino, part of the Autonomous Port Operators Collective, underscored the moral duty to act when arms movements fuel regional conflicts.
Coordination
Carlo Tombola, co-founder of The Weapon Watch, a European observatory tracking weapon traffic through ports, said the Genoa sit-in did not surprise him. In recent years, anti-arms movements by shippers have grown louder, sometimes pushing governments to suspend transfers. He recalled past instances where ships carrying weapons to Israel were halted or where arms sales to Saudi Arabia were paused amid Yemen’s conflict. Yet he cautioned that there remains a lack of formal, pan-European coordination among these groups, which could amplify the impact of their protests if it existed.
Looking ahead, Nivoi described informal contacts with similar groups in other European nations. There is talk of forming a coordinated loading-unloading network among companies operating in Southern Europe that would respond to this demand. He called this a project that is currently under discussion, signaling potential future collaboration beyond local actions.
Responsibilities
Experts stress that dockworkers’ protests, even in their current form, can present tangible challenges for government authorities. Maurizio Simoncelli, vice president of Archivo Desarme, described these actions as real headaches for policymakers, noting that they raise public awareness and often attract support from non-governmental organizations. Human Rights Watch has urged countries to suspend arms shipments to both Israeli forces and Hamas militias, warning that failure to act risks complicity in abuses. The concerns extend to Europe’s arms industry, which bears major responsibility for transfers to the Middle East and North Africa.
Industry observers point to the major role of a few nations in these exports. As noted in economic analyses, the United States, Russia, France, and Italy have historically accounted for a large share of regional arms sales. Italy, in particular, has emerged as a significant arms trader, with observers highlighting its collaboration with academic research in the sector. The scale of Italian trade has been substantial; studies show that between 2013 and 2022, Italian companies, concentrated mainly in the north, sold weapons to Israel totaling roughly a hundred twenty million euros. While several countries have ratified the International Arms Trade Treaty, enforcement remains inconsistent, drawing ongoing scrutiny from human rights groups and watchdogs.
Public records and independent fact-checks underscore the complexity of arms transfers. While official agreements exist to regulate shipments, compliance varies widely, and NGOs continue to monitor and report on gaps. Observers emphasize that the ongoing debate touches on ethics, security, and economic interests, urging continued dialogue among governments, industry, and civil society to address the risks associated with arms movement across borders.