Four rallies, involving 10,000 people, crossed Bologna as part of the European general strike on 14 November 2012. The rallies left at 9 a.m. from different parts of the city, marching along all major streets, from those of the university quarter to shopping areas to the avenues where most urban traffic circulates.

One rally was lead by the CGIL union, which had called for a strike of just four hours. It covered a short distance and then ended the morning with a speech from the local leader, Danilo Barbi. Just around 1,000 people took part in this demonstration, which also included the Mayor, Virginio Merola, and some important local representatives of the PD. The lack of worker participation indicates that they were not convinced of the usefulness of this strike.