By Angelo Amante
ROME, July 21 (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday called for a full investigation into the death of a man during an arrest in Bologna, while condemning anti-police protests that turned violent and left dozens of officers injured.
Moroccan-born Abderrahim Fakir died on Sunday after police were called to the Pilastro neighbourhood on the outskirts of the northern city to deal with a man who was behaving aggressively and damaging a vehicle.
“It is essential that any responsibilities be ascertained with the utmost rigour. The truth must be pursued thoroughly, without prejudice and without leniency toward anyone,” Meloni wrote on X.
The right-wing premier also denounced violence against police during a protest in central Bologna late on Monday which, according to police union COISP, left 56 officers injured.
The demonstration turned violent when a group of protesters threw firecrackers, bottles and chairs at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon, Italian media reported.
“Those who chose to use this incident as a pretext to lay waste to the city, attack officers and spread violence … were not seeking the truth: they were seeking confrontation,” Meloni said.
INVESTIGATION ONGOING
A video of Fakir’s final moments, widely shared on social media, shows him face down on the ground while two officers restrain him. He can be heard calling for help and saying he could not breathe before his movements gradually stop.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation, which has reignited debate in Italy over police use of force during arrests and prompted comparisons with past cases that resulted in years of legal proceedings and calls for reform.
According to Italian media, officers initially tried to calm Fakir before using pepper spray and restraining him while attempting to handcuff him after he reacted aggressively. Bologna police said body-camera footage from the officers involved would be made available to investigators.
The case has drawn political reactions from across the spectrum, with opposition politicians demanding full accountability and members of the governing coalition defending the officers involved.
“Just as every citizen has the right to the presumption of innocence, the same principle must apply to those who wear a uniform,” Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told daily Il Messaggero.
(Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Alvise Armellini/Keith Weir)
