Thousands of people marched through the Italian city of Bologna demanding justice after a Moroccan-born man died while being restrained by police, with later clashes leaving dozens of officers injured.
The protests followed the death of Abderrahim Fakir, who died on Sunday after being pinned to the ground by police officers responding to reports of a disturbance.
Thousands Demand Justice
Several thousand demonstrators gathered peacefully on Monday evening, chanting “justice for Abderrahim Fakir.” Later, a smaller group broke away from the main march and clashed with police, setting two cars on fire.
Prosecutors said 64 police officers were injured during the unrest.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the circumstances surrounding Fakir’s death must be fully investigated but insisted that “nothing can justify violence against law enforcement.”
Investigation Underway
Police had been called after neighbours reported Fakir behaving erratically and damaging garage doors in the Pilastro district of Bologna. Authorities said officers attempted to calm him before using pepper spray.
Video shared by Italian media shows two officers sitting on Fakir as he lay face down, repeatedly crying out for them to stop. A civilian also held down his legs while emergency workers stood nearby.
After about two minutes, Fakir stopped moving. Officers handcuffed and restrained him before noticing he had become unresponsive.
Prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation involving the police officers and medical personnel who were present.
Family Demands Answers
Several eyewitnesses told Italian media that Fakir appeared distressed but was unarmed and posed no threat.
His sister, Khadija Fakir, said: “You can’t die like this. They killed him mercilessly, and I want the truth.”
Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore described the footage as shocking and organised Monday’s demonstration.
Speaking at the rally, Fakir’s niece, Yossra, said:
“He was my uncle. He wasn’t a number, he wasn’t a news line… he was loved. He deserved to be helped and heard, and he deserved dignity.”
Political Reactions
Mayor Lepore condemned the violence that followed the peaceful protest, saying there had been “two different squares,” one filled with peaceful demonstrators and another involving people who “think they can respond to violence with violence.”
Police union secretary-general Domenico Pianese criticised Lepore for organising the protest so soon after the incident, arguing it encouraged anti-police groups.
He defended the officers’ actions, saying:
“Judging from the images we saw, the intervention was carried out correctly.”
Pianese also noted that officers had voluntarily handed over body camera footage to prosecutors.
Government and Opposition Clash
Prime Minister Meloni described the violence against police as “unacceptable.”
She said: “Those who chose to use this incident as a pretext to set the city ablaze, attack officers, and sow violence… were not seeking the truth: they were seeking confrontation.”
Fakir’s lawyer, Barbara Spinelli, questioned why a man with no weapon died while in police custody.
She wrote: “[Fakir] was a hardworker, he was kind… Ask yourselves why he died in the hands of those who had an institutional duty to protect his life.”
Opposition politicians also criticised the government’s strong backing of the police.
Democratic Party senator Francesco Boccia said: “If the right wants to import the ICE model, this is the wrong country for it.”
The investigation into Fakir’s death remains ongoing.
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