"Guns out of Sardinia!" was the cry that rose this afternoon from Via Roma, where approximately 150 people, including union members and activists, gathered for the international dockworkers' strike against the transportation of weapons and war. A mobilization that involved ports across Europe and the United States, but which in Cagliari took a different form: here, the docks remained closed, while the protest moved to the streets.
Enrico Puddu, from the USB Work Sardinia Coordination Center, explains why. "In Cagliari, we've just begun a process as a category," he explains. "We don't yet have an adequate structure, but that doesn't mean we're not aware. In fact, it's a first step: we're here in solidarity with all the other groups." This process, which has just begun, aims to build a category of dockworkers capable of taking a direct stand in the capital.
The day's meaning, however, remains political. "Dockworkers in Europe have decided to strike for peace and against the arms trade," emphasizes Enrico Rubiu of the USB Social Federation Coordination Center. "It's a huge realization, one that's rarely talked about. Workers don't want to be a part of war."
Also targeted is the port of Cagliari, labeled "nuclear" and traversed by arms trafficking, particularly those produced by RWM. "We don't want to be complicit in this scenario," he continues, "especially while genocides are taking place. This is not the security we want: true security is healthcare, jobs, and welfare, not the use of taxes to produce weapons."
The demonstration then moved in procession to Piazza Yenne, where it joined the silent demonstration that has been calling for a free Palestine for months and a broader critique of European and national policies on war, migration, and security. "Guns must stop, people must be able to move around," was the message reiterated from the square.
