By News Agencies

The article was first published on 20 Jul 202620 Jul 2026.

The death has ignited a fierce political debate and drawn comparisons to the George Floyd killing in the United States, echoing broader tensions over policing and racial justice.

In Bologna, police deployed tear gas and water cannons against protesters during a second consecutive night of demonstrations following the death of a Moroccan man while being arrested.

Hundreds rallied on Monday evening, with some throwing firecrackers and officers responding amid a fierce political row over the death of Abderrahim Fakir the previous evening.

The 42-year-old Moroccan entrepreneur died as police detained him following reports of aggressive behaviour.

A video recorded by a neighbor and circulated widely on social media captures Fakir lying face down with two officers restraining 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.

The incident has drawn comparisons with the United States police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. Some demonstrators in Bologna have knelt with raised fists, a gesture associated with the Black Lives Matter movement that emerged in the aftermath of Floyd’s killing.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and other allies in Italy’s far-right government have praised the officers’ conduct and condemned the protests. Minister for European Affairs Tommaso Foti said that “the chants of ‘police murderers'” were “disgraceful”.

But the protests have won the backing of the city’s mayor and major trade unions. Opposition politicians have criticised the government for its handling of the incident, claiming that its policies promote violence.

Demonstrators knelt with raised fists on Sunday, a gesture associated with the Black Lives Matter movement, while another group sat in a square on Monday holding a photograph of Fakir
Demonstrators knelt with raised fists on Sunday, a gesture associated with the Black Lives Matter movement, while another group sat in a square on Monday holding a photograph of Fakir [Michele Lapini/Reuters]

Centre-left legislator Francesco Boccia warned against Italy adopting an “ICE model” of policing, referring to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which has been involved in several killings of protesters.

In Farik’s death, officers used pepper spray and held him down while trying to handcuff him after he reacted aggressively, according to media reports.

“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 body-camera footage from the officers involved.

The protests have garnered support from Bologna's mayor and major trade unions, while Italy's far-right government has condemned the demonstrations and defended the police. This divide highlights the deep political polarization over law enforcement accountability in the country.