Italian media report directly late this morning from the port of northern Italian Trieste.
There is Italy's most important commercial port with a huge influx of goods and transports there and from there, around the clock.
Nearly 40 percent of the workers there are said to be unvaccinated and since the requirement for a covid pass at work was introduced on Friday, protests have been going on all weekend.
At first they were relatively quiet, but then the situation has become increasingly tense.
It started with a group of around 300 dock workers who blocked the harbor, but they are then said to have been around 2,000.
Riot-equipped police
The Ministry of the Interior saw the situation as unsustainable and riot-equipped police came at dawn and at first only asked people to leave.
As the protests intensified, water cannons and tear gas were deployed to disperse the crowd and dissolve the blockade with people sitting on the ground holding onto each other.
A worker has been taken to hospital by ambulance.
- We just want our freedom, says Stefano Puzzer, the dock workers' spokesman, to Italian media.
At the same time, there is disagreement among the workers and the unions CGIL, CISL and UIL call on all its members to stop the protests and "liberate the port" so that work and transport can return to normal.
Moves towards the center
When the police managed to meet the dock workers and blocked the entrances, the protesters have now instead moved into the center of Trieste where the protests continue.
- We will see if the police chase us away from the city square as well, says Stefano Puzzer.
The protesting dock workers say they intend to continue demonstrating and going on strike until at least October 21.
However, the government's line regarding covid passports is firmly in place and just over 80 per cent of Italians are positive about the passports.
These have also had an immediate effect, just the first day since they were introduced, 69,000 people took their first vaccine dose.
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The decision has provoked widespread protests in the country.
Hear SVT's correspondent in the clip.
Photo: Giuseppe Lami / EPA / TT & SVT