Meloni condemns Bologna violence as police probe into Moroccan man’s death intensifies

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has issued a stern condemnation of demonstrators in Bologna following violent clashes that left 56 police officers injured. Speaking on Tuesday, the right-wing premier pledged that the death of Abderrahim Fakir would be subject to a fair and rigorous investigation, but she simultaneously accused protesters of exploiting the tragedy to incite confrontation rather than pursue the truth.

The unrest erupted on Sunday night and resumed on Monday evening in central Bologna, where demonstrators hurled firecrackers, bottles, and chairs at law enforcement personnel. In response, police deployed tear gas and water cannons. The Italian Coordination of Police Officers confirmed that 56 officers sustained injuries during the disturbances, prompting Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi to express full confidence in the ongoing inquiry.

Piantedosi told the daily Il Messaggero that the officers involved deserve the same presumption of innocence afforded to any other citizen. He emphasised that the government’s priority is to ascertain responsibilities with rigour, stating that the truth must be pursued without prejudice or leniency toward any party involved in the incident.

The protests were sparked by the death of Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan national, who died on Sunday after police were called to deal with a man behaving aggressively and damaging a vehicle. Widely circulated footage shows Fakir face down while two officers restrain him; he is heard calling for help and stating he cannot breathe before falling still. The visual evidence has drawn comparisons to the 2020 killing of George Floyd by US police in Minneapolis.

Prosecutors have opened a formal investigation into the circumstances of Fakir’s death, a move that has reignited a broader national debate regarding the use of force during arrests in Italy. The case has polarised the political landscape, with members of the populist right-wing governing coalition defending the officers, while opposition figures criticised the government’s handling of the incident.

Centre-left legislator Francesco Boccia warned against Italy adopting an “ICE model” of policing, referencing the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which has been implicated in several killings of protesters. Boccia and other opposition politicians argued that current government policies promote violence and exacerbate tensions between law enforcement and minority communities.

Barbara Spinelli, a lawyer who met Fakir the previous year when he applied to renew his residency permit, described him to the ANSA news agency as a “very kind, well-educated, respectful person.” She noted that despite living legally in Italy, Fakir had expressed concerns about being expelled from the country, adding a layer of complexity to the political discourse surrounding his death.