Deadly Police Violence in Italy: Bitterly Necessary Protest
This commentary by Michael Braun for taz.de analyzes the aftermath of the death of 43-year-old migrant Abderrahim Fakir during a police arrest in Bologna, Italy, on July 20, 2026. Thousands protested in Bologna, reflecting a vibrant civil society under the post-fascist government of Giorgia Meloni. The article criticizes right-wing politicians, including Galeazzo Bignami of Fratelli d'Italia and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of the Lega, for legitimizing police violence and dismissing protests as 'anti-Italian.' It draws a parallel to a separate case where a jeweler was sentenced to 14 years for executing fleeing robbers, yet the government camp demands his pardon. The author argues both cases show a disregard for law and order, with right-wing politics arrogating the right to acquit police and the jeweler while denying sympathy to the victims. The protest in Bologna is framed as a necessary response to this political climate.
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Deadly Police Violence in Italy: Bitterly Necessary Protest
This commentary by Michael Braun for taz.de analyzes the aftermath of the death of 43-year-old migrant Abderrahim Fakir during a police arrest in Bologna, Italy, on July 20, 2026. Thousands protested in Bologna, reflecting a vibrant civil society under the post-fascist government of Giorgia Meloni. The article criticizes right-wing politicians, including Galeazzo Bignami of Fratelli d'Italia and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of the Lega, for legitimizing police violence and dismissing protests as 'anti-Italian.' It draws a parallel to a separate case where a jeweler was sentenced to 14 years for executing fleeing robbers, yet the government camp demands his pardon. The author argues both cases show a disregard for law and order, with right-wing politics arrogating the right to acquit police and the jeweler while denying sympathy to the victims. The protest in Bologna is framed as a necessary response to this political climate.