A 42-year-old Moroccan entrepreneur named Abderrahim Fakir died on Sunday while being detained by police in Bologna, northern Italy, following reports of aggressive behavior. Video footage of the incident, recorded by a resident and distributed widely online, shows Fakir lying face-down on the ground as two officers restrain him. Throughout the restraint, he can be heard calling out for help before becoming unresponsive. Officers subsequently bound his ankles and checked his vital signs only after restraining him.
According to media accounts, police employed pepper spray and physical restraint while attempting to handcuff Fakir after he reacted aggressively to their efforts. The circumstances of his death have drawn comparisons to the 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Demonstrations erupted in response, with hundreds of people gathering on Monday evening in Bologna. Protesters employed gestures associated with the Black Lives Matter movement, including kneeling with raised fists. The city’s mayor and major trade unions backed additional protests held on Monday.
The incident has triggered significant political division in Italy. Opposition lawmakers have demanded accountability and called for investigations into the officers’ actions. Centre-left legislator Francesco Boccia cautioned against Italy adopting what he characterized as an “ICE model” of policing practices. Conversely, government officials have defended the officers involved. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who represents the far-right faction, and other coalition allies have praised the officers’ conduct. Opposition figures have accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition of creating a hostile environment.
Bologna prosecutors have initiated an inquiry using a newly implemented legal procedure and have requested bodycam recordings from the officers involved in the incident. The case remains under investigation as tensions over policing practices continue to escalate politically.