Green Pass Strike Forces Gallerie dell'Accademia Florence to Close Afternoons

A strike called by the small union FISI (Federazione Italiana Sindacati Intercategoriali) against Italy's Green Pass requirement has been extended from October 15-19 to October 21-31, with a pause on October 20. The strike, deemed illegitimate by the Guarantee Commission, has disrupted cultural institutions, including the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Florence, which was forced to close after 1:30 PM from October 15-20, refunding afternoon ticket holders. The protest, which began at the Port of Trieste and spread to Naples, Rome, and Cagliari, involves port workers and anti-vaxxer groups, with alleged ties to far-right organizations like Casapound and Fiamma Tricolore. FISI leader Rolando Scotillo boasted of the strike's success in hindering access to Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Madonna and Child. The union's rhetoric mixes anti-science, anti-system, and sovereignist themes, with claims of a conspiracy involving Big Pharma, Soros, Rockefeller, and Bill Gates, as well as antisemitic statements. The strike aims to force the government to withdraw the Green Pass, despite its temporary nature set to expire on December 31, 2021.