Meloni condemns Bologna protesters after death under police restraint
Italy’s prime minister promised a fair inquiry into Abderrahim Fakir’s death while denouncing clashes that injured 56 officers.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has denounced protesters in Bologna after demonstrations over the death of Abderrahim Fakir during police restraint turned violent. The case has put renewed scrutiny on police use of force in Italy, with prosecutors opening an inquiry and political leaders sharply divided over the response.
Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan man, died on Sunday after police were called to respond to a man who was acting aggressively and damaging a vehicle, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Protests began that night and continued Monday in central Bologna, where demonstrators and riot police clashed.
The Italian Coordination of Police Officers said 56 officers were injured. According to Al Jazeera and Reuters, protesters threw firecrackers, bottles and chairs, while police used tear gas and water cannons.
Meloni said Tuesday that Fakir’s death must be examined fairly, but she accused those involved in the unrest of using the case to provoke disorder. She said the people who attacked officers and spread violence were seeking confrontation rather than truth.
The prime minister also said any responsibility in Fakir’s death must be established with strict scrutiny and without bias or undue leniency. Her comments came as images of the fatal restraint spread widely online.
Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that footage of Fakir’s final moments shows him lying face down as two officers restrain him. In the video, Fakir calls for help and says he cannot breathe before becoming motionless, according to the outlets.
The footage has prompted comparisons with the 2020 killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Prosecutors have opened an investigation, a step that has intensified debate in Italy over how police handle arrests.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told the daily Il Messaggero that he had “full confidence” the investigation would determine what happened. He also said the officers involved should receive the same presumption of innocence as any other citizen.
The case has drawn responses from across Italy’s political spectrum. Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that members of Meloni’s populist right-wing governing coalition have defended the officers, while opposition politicians have accused the government of mishandling the incident and encouraging a climate of violence through its policies.
Francesco Boccia, a centre-left lawmaker, warned against Italy moving toward what he called an “ICE model” of policing, referring to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that ICE has been involved in several killings of protesters.
Barbara Spinelli, a lawyer who met Fakir last year when he sought to renew his residency permit, told the ANSA news agency that he was “a very kind, well-educated, respectful person.” Spinelli said Fakir had feared expulsion from Italy despite living in the country legally.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.