ROME: A person within the northern Italian metropolis of Bologna died whereas being held to the bottom by police attempting to arrest him, in an incident captured on video that has sparked avenue protests and which prosecutors are investigating.
Abderrahim Fakir, a Moroccan-born entrepreneur who ran a small removals and cleansing enterprise, died on Sunday (Jul 19) after police had been known as to take care of a person behaving aggressively and damaging a automobile, Italian media stated.
Footage of the incident filmed by a resident and broadly shared on-line prompted lots of of individuals to protest and drew responses from throughout the political spectrum, with opposition politicians demanding accountability and the governing coalition defending the officers concerned.
Based on the native day by day Il Resto del Carlino, demonstrators chanted anti-police slogans and knelt with raised fists, adopting a gesture related to the Black Lives Matter motion that emerged in the US following the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The footage confirmed Fakir mendacity face down on the bottom whereas two officers restrained him. He might be heard repeatedly calling for assist and struggling for breath earlier than his actions progressively cease.
Bologna prosecutors and Italy’s Inside Ministry didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. Bologna police stated they’d give bodycam footage from the officers who intervened to the investigators.
