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The Prime Minister has promised to investigate the death of a Moroccan man under the orders of the police, condemning the violence during which protests injured 56 police officers.
Published on 21 Jul 2026
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned the protests in Bologna, following protests over the death of a Moroccan man in police custody, which left several police officers injured.
In a speech on Tuesday, the right-wing Prime Minister promised a fair investigation into the death of Abderrahim Fakir, but criticized the night’s protests for “combat” rather than “truth”.
42-year-old Fakir died on Sunday after police were called to deal with a man who was acting aggressively and vandalizing a car.
Demonstrations it started on Sunday night, and when they resumed on Monday evening in the center of Bologna, they fought with the police.
Protesters threw bullets, bottles and chairs at the police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. The Italian authorities of the Coordination of Police Officers said that 56 police officers were injured.
“Those who chose to use this story as an excuse to destroy the city, attack and spread violence… were not looking for the truth: they were just looking for conflict,” said Meloni.
He said that “every responsibility” should be “very strongly confirmed” and that the truth should be pursued “without partiality and without prejudice to anyone”.
The last footage of Fakir, which has been widely shared online, shows him face down as two police officers stop him and call for help, saying he can’t breathe before collapsing.
These images compare to the 2020 massacre George Floyd and the United States police in Minneapolis.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation, sparking a debate in Italy over the use of force during arrests.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said he was “fully confident” that the investigation would prove the truth, and told the daily Il Messaggero that officers should “assume they are innocent” like any other citizen.
This case has caused people to think deeply about politics.
Members of the right-wing populist ruling party have defended the officials involved.
Opposition politicians have criticized the government for its handling of the issue and say its policies encourage violence.
The far-left MP Francesco Boccia warned that Italy should adopt the “ICE model” of the police, referring to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which has been involved in several murders.
Lawyer Barbara Spinelli, who met Fakir last year when he asked to renew his residence permit, told ANSA that he was “a very kind, educated, respectful person” who was worried about being deported to Italy even though he was living there legally.
