Public dissent in Italy appears to be growing as local communities mobilize against what protesters call the normalization of Israeli aggression via “Zionist tourism.” On Saturday, December 6th, according to Italian and international media, demonstrations occurred at two ports over the docking of the cruise ship Crown Iris, which departs from the occupied port of Haifa and is operated by the Israeli company Mano Maritime.
In Sardinia, in the city of Olbia, activists gathered in Piazza Elena di Gallura to oppose a planned docking of the Crown Iris. Organizers said that even though the stop had been cancelled months earlier, the protest remained necessary to prevent Sardinia from becoming a “safe passage for violators of international law.” They rejected the notion that Israeli tourism could be considered apolitical, arguing that permitting docking while the war in Gaza continues would amount to welcoming what they described as “potential war criminals.”
In Brindisi, in southern Italy, the atmosphere was more confrontational. In the early morning, activists from a group calling itself the Committee Against the Genocide of Palestinians assembled to protest the arrival of the same cruise ship. As the Crown Iris docked around 8:00 a.m., videos reportedly showed Israeli passengers and protesters trading insults and gestures. Some passengers allegedly made obscene gestures, mock choking motions, and shouted threats, while demonstrators carried banners with slogans such as “Zionists out” and “end cooperation with Israel,” claiming the vessel carried “Israeli soldiers posing as tourists.”
A brief physical confrontation — involving shoving, spitting, and shouting — prompted police intervention to separate the groups. Local authorities later reported no injuries or arrests. The events underscored the escalation of tensions between pro‑Palestinian civil society groups and supporters of Israeli tourism at a time of ongoing conflict.
These protests come amid a broader wave of demonstrations across Italy related to the war in Gaza. Since the interception of a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza, nationwide strikes and mass protests have taken place.