Italy, a stage for the convergence of struggles during a day of highly attended protests

On October 30, Italy witnessed significant protests organized by the Union Syndicale de Base (USB) calling for a general strike in public services. Despite limited participation from public employees and minimal disruption to transport due to a requisition order by Minister Matteo Salvini, the streets were filled with demonstrators expressing rising social discontent. USB estimated between 1 to 1.5 million participants, while the Interior Ministry reported only 255,000. In Rome, nearly 100,000 marched, highlighting issues like the cost of living, exacerbated by a recent inflation report of 5.4%. Infographics displayed during the protests illustrated the rapid increase in food prices, with grocery costs rising by 30% over five years.