Protests in Bologna after Moroccan man dies in police restraint
L'essentiel
- Hundreds protested in Bologna, Italy, after Moroccan man Abderrahim Fakir died while being restrained by police.
- A video of the incident, showing Fakir calling for help, has sparked a political row and an inquiry, drawing comparisons to George Floyd's death.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Abderrahim Fakir died in Bologna, Italy, while being restrained by police, leading to protests and a political dispute over police conduct. A video of the incident has been widely shared, prompting demands for accountability.
Demonstrations have been held in the northern Italian city of Bologna after a Moroccan man died while being restrained by police.
Hundreds rallied on Monday evening amid a fierce political row over the officers’ conduct. The death of Abderrahim Fakir on Sunday has drawn inevitable comparisons to the killing of George Floyd by United States police in Minneapolis in 2020.
Demonstrators knelt with raised fists on Sunday, a gesture associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. Further protests, backed by the city’s mayor and major trade unions, were held on Monday evening.
The 42-year-old Moroccan entrepreneur died when police detained him following reports of aggressive behaviour.
Video of the incident, filmed by a local resident and widely shared online, has prompted demands from opposition figures for accountability. Leaders of the right-wing government have defended the officers involved.
The video shows Fakir face down on the ground as two officers restrain him. He repeatedly calls out “help, help, that’s enough” before falling silent.
Police then bind his ankles and only afterwards check his vital signs.
According to media reports, officers had used pepper spray and held him down while trying to handcuff him after he reacted aggressively.
“My brother had asked for help… and they killed him,” one of Fakir’s brothers told the Corriere Della Sera newspaper.
Bologna prosecutors have opened an inquiry under a newly introduced legal procedure and requested bodycam video from the officers involved.
The far-right Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, and other government allies have praised the officers’ conduct.
Opposition figures have accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition of fostering a climate of hostility.
Centre-left legislator Francesco Boccia warned against Italy adopting an “ICE model” of US policing.
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
Bologna prosecutors will continue their inquiry into Abderrahim Fakir's death.
Très probable · En quelques mois
Questions ouvertes
- What will be the outcome of the Bologna prosecutors' inquiry?
- What specific actions did the officers take during the restraint?
