The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern over the death of one of its nationals while being arrested by Italian police in the city of Bologna, and requested a thorough investigation, according to Reuters.

Abderrahim Faqir, born in Morocco, died on Sunday after police were called to the Pilastro neighborhood in the outskirts of the northern Italian city to deal with a man who was acting aggressively and damaging a car.

Late yesterday, Tuesday, the ministry requested "the necessary clarifications regarding this tragedy" and the determination of responsibilities.

The death sparked anti-police protests in Bologna on Monday, resulting in dozens of police officers being injured.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for a thorough investigation into the death, while also denouncing the clashes with police following the incident.

Thousands of people took to the streets in several Italian cities for a second night of protests on Tuesday, following the death of the Moroccan immigrant during a police operation, with demonstrations recorded in Milan, Naples, and Florence.

Initial reports indicated that the protests ended peacefully. On the previous evening, riots broke out in Bologna, where the 42-year-old Moroccan man died on Sunday. Prosecutors have since opened an investigation into his death.

According to rescue services, at least 11 people—including police officers and protesters—were injured during clashes between police and protesters in Bologna on Monday evening. Police stated that 64 of their officers were injured.

In response to the protests, Meloni pledged to investigate "any responsibilities with the utmost rigor." The far-right prime minister also condemned the acts of violence against the police.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Reuters)

The death of Abderrahim Faqir, who had lived in Italy for more than 30 years, has dominated headlines in the country since Sunday. Protesters repeatedly chanted "Justice for Faqir" during the marches. Many drew comparisons to the case of George Floyd, a Black man who died during a police operation in the United States in 2020.

Faqir died on a Bologna street on Sunday after residents called the police. A video showed him lying face down on the ground while two police officers pinned him down with his hands cuffed behind his back. He could be heard shouting repeatedly: "Help me! Enough, enough!" The two officers did not release him until several minutes later when he stopped moving. A doctor then pronounced him dead.

Investigators hope that an autopsy, scheduled for later this week, will reveal the circumstances of his death. A body camera worn by one of the officers involved in the incident has been handed over to prosecutors, along with a video filmed by a neighbor who witnessed the event. A preliminary manslaughter investigation has been opened against the two police officers, as well as four ambulance service personnel who initially only watched without intervening.

Meloni described the situation in Bologna as "unacceptable," stating that Sunday's incident must be investigated "with the utmost rigor," and emphasizing that the truth must be "pursued to the end, without bias and without exceptions for anyone."

For his part, Moroccan Ambassador to Italy Youssef Bella called on the Moroccan community "not to be drawn into provocations or attempts to exploit this painful tragedy."

In a statement published by the official Moroccan news agency, he expressed "regret over certain public statements and positions that preempted the results of the investigation," while affirming his "full respect for the Italian judicial institutions."

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi called for waiting for the results of the investigation, affirming in a statement to the newspaper "Il Messaggero" that "no one is above the law."