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[POLITICS] · Italy · 99 sources

Abderrahim Fakir death sparks protests and investigation in Bologna

On July 19, 2026, 42‑year‑old Moroccan‑born resident Abderrahim Fakir died while being restrained by police in Bologna’s Pilastro neighbourhood. Video released by a neighbour shows two officers pinning him to the ground, handcuffed, while he repeatedly calls for help. He stopped moving after several minutes and was later pronounced dead.

The Bologna prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for involuntary homicide against the two officers and four ambulance workers who were present. Body‑camera footage is being handed to the magistrate, and a full autopsy is pending.

Thousands gathered in Bologna to demand justice; the demonstration began peacefully but later turned violent as some participants threw bottles, firecrackers and Molotov‑style devices. Police responded with water cannons, tear‑gas and fire‑hydrants, leaving at least eleven people injured (both protesters and officers).

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi called for a rigorous inquiry and urged the public to await the facts. The victim’s family, quoting his sister, demanded “justice, truth and dignity” and condemned the use of force. The incident has been compared in Italian media to the 2020 death of George Floyd in the United States.

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