Pro-Palestinian protesters breach defense firm Leonardo’s offices in Italy's Turin

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Pro-Palestinian protesters breached Italian defense and aerospace Leonardo’s office in the northern city of Turin, local media reported on Wednesday.

The action came in response to Leonardo’s “complicity with the ongoing genocide in Gaza perpetrated by the illegitimate State of Israel against the Palestinian people," state-run ANSA news agency quoted protesters as saying.

Police have identified some 30 protesters, who waved Palestinian flags and a banner saying “Intifada Everywhere” after breaking down the gates of the establishment, it said.

"Despite the industrial group declaring that it works mainly in the defense sector, Leonardo has continued to support the Israeli army for over a year through shipments that include remote technical assistance, material repairs and the supply of spare parts for the Israeli Air Force's training aircraft,” said a statement from the group of protesters.

“Moreover, the company has supplied systems for armored bulldozers, which have been systematically used for years to destroy Palestinian homes,” it added.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called the protesters “dangerous subversives,” according to the agency.

Israel has continued its devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023. The onslaught has killed more than 43,700 victims and rendered the enclave almost uninhabitable.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.