Hello, dear readers of Free AstroScience. I'm Gerd, and welcome to this space where we always try to simplify the most complex issues of our time. Today I want to talk to you about something that's particularly close to my heart and deeply divides public opinion: the Palestinian cause and the protest methods we've been seeing in our cities.
I invite you to read this article to the end, because what I'm about to tell you might not please everyone, but it's a necessary reflection to truly understand how to help Gaza without harming ourselves.
My Position: With Gaza, Against the Theater
Let me say it straight, without beating around the bush: I stand with Palestine. I stand with the children of Gaza dying under bombs. I stand with families who've lost everything. I stand with those fighting for dignity and freedom.
But I don't stand with those who think blocking Milan, Florence, or Genoa is the solution I don't stand with those who believe putting concrete blocks on railway tracks helps Palestinians . I don't stand with those who transform a just cause into a media circus that damages all of us.
The Paradox of Symbolic Protests
Let's look at the facts. On October 3rd, we witnessed scenes that have been repeating for months: blocked highways, paralyzed ports, canceled trains. In Milan, over 30,000 people occupied the eastern bypass, creating chaos and tensions with law enforcement In Florence, they positioned concrete blocks on the tracks, causing delays up to 400 minutes .
But tell me something: how does a worker losing a day's pay because he can't get to work help Gaza? How does a family unable to take the train to visit a sick relative help Palestine?
The Difference Between Solidarity and Symbolism
True Solidarity
True solidarity is measured in concrete actions. It's sending humanitarian aid. It's applying diplomatic pressure. It's boycotting Israeli products if you believe in that strategy. It's informing, raising awareness, building bridges.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, with all its limitations, at least attempted to bring concrete aid to Gaza. The parliamentarians and activists on board were truly risking something for a cause they believed in.
Empty Symbolism
Empty symbolism is what we've seen in our cities. It's blocking the port of Livorno, preventing commercial traffic. It's occupying Bologna's railway tracks, causing the closure of the A14 It's throwing smoke bombs at police in Florence .
This isn't activism. It's collective narcissism.
The Collateral Damage No One Calculates
Who Really Pays the Price
When you block a highway, who bears the consequences? Not Netanyahu. Not the Israeli government. Not the generals bombing Gaza.
The consequences are paid by:
- The worker who arrives late and risks his job
- The elderly person who can't reach the hospital for an appointment
- The small business owner who loses customers due to delays
- Families who see their transportation costs increase
The Boomerang Effect
These protests not only don't help Gaza, but they damage the Palestinian cause itself. Every time you block a road, you create another enemy. Every time you cause inconvenience to innocent people, you drive away potential supporters.
The result? Ordinary people start associating the Palestinian cause with chaos and inconvenience. And this is exactly the opposite of what we should achieve.
Concrete Alternatives That Work
Targeted Economic Pressure
Instead of blocking everything, why not focus on targeted boycotts? Why not pressure companies that truly collaborate with the Israeli occupation?
Information and Awareness
Organize conferences, debates, documentary screenings. Make Palestinian history known in schools and universities. Build an alternative narrative based on facts.
Smart Political Pressure
Lobby parliamentarians. Organize petitions. Ask the Italian government to take clearer positions. But do it with the tools of democracy, not with chaos.
The Risk of Radicalization
When Protest Becomes Violence
What worries me most is the drift we're seeing. In Milan, they threw stones at police. In Florence, smoke bombs and tear gas . In Salerno, there were injuries among both officers and protesters isn't resistance. It's stupidity.**
Salvini and the Right's Game
Every act of violence, every road block, every clash with police is a gift to the right. Salvini can say: "See? They're violent, they're extremists" And ordinary people agree with him.
You're playing the game of those you want to fight.
My Proposal: Intelligent Solidarity
Three Fundamental Principles
First, don't harm the innocent: Every action must be targeted against those who truly have responsibility, not against ordinary people.
Second, build consensus, don't divide it: The goal must be to expand the front of solidarity with Palestine, not restrict it.
Third, be concrete, not symbolic: Every initiative must have a real impact on the situation, not just be a media gesture.
Actions That Work
Targeted boycotting of Israeli products and companies works. Information campaigns in schools and universities work. Diplomatic pressure through institutional channels works. Fundraising for direct humanitarian aid works. Twinning between Italian and Palestinian cities works.
Conclusions: The Right Path Exists
Dear readers, the Palestinian cause is just. Gaza needs our help. But not this kind of help.
We don't need road blocks that harm Italian workers. We don't need clashes with police that fuel right-wing propaganda. We don't need symbolic gestures that change nothing for those who truly suffer.
We need intelligence. We need strategy. We need the ability to distinguish between what makes us feel good and what actually works.
True solidarity isn't measured in kilometers of blocked highways, but in lives saved and rights won. It's time to choose which side we're on: the side of theater or the side of effectiveness.
Because Gaza deserves more than our narcissism. It deserves concrete actions, not social media performances. And we, as people committed to justice, deserve to be able to support a just cause without having to pay the price of protests that harm everyone except those they should target.
The right path exists. We just need the courage to take it.
This article was written specifically for you by Gerd of Free AstroScience, where we believe complex issues deserve thoughtful analysis, not simplistic gestures. What do you think? I'd love to hear your perspective in the comments below.
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