Morocco's Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the death of one of its nationals while Italian police were arresting him in the city of Bologna, and called for a thorough investigation, according to Reuters.

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

The ministry on Tuesday evening requested "the necessary clarifications regarding this tragedy" and the identification 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 and also condemned the clashes with police after 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 migrant during a police operation, with demonstrations in Milan, Naples and Florence.

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

According to rescue services, at least 11 people, including police officers and protesters, were injured in clashes between police and protesters in Bologna on Monday evening. Police said 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 violence against police.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Reuters)

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

Fakhir died on a street in Bologna on Sunday after residents called police. A video showed him lying face down on the ground, pinned down by two officers, with his hands cuffed behind his back. He can be heard repeatedly shouting: "Help me! Enough, enough!" The officers only released him after several minutes 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 has been handed over to prosecutors, along with a video recorded by a neighbor who witnessed the incident. A preliminary investigation has been opened for involuntary manslaughter against the two officers, as well as against four members of the ambulance service who initially only watched without intervening.

Meloni described the situation in Bologna as "unacceptable," saying the Sunday incident should be investigated "with the utmost rigor," stressing that the truth must be "pursued to the end, without prejudice and without exceptions for anyone."

For his part, Morocco's ambassador to Italy, Youssef Balla, called on the Moroccan community "not to be drawn into provocations or attempts to exploit this painful tragedy."

In a statement published by Morocco's official news agency, he expressed "regret for some public statements and positions that anticipated the results of the investigation," while affirming "his full respect for Italian judicial institutions."

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi called for waiting for the results of the investigation, stating in an interview with Il Messaggero that "no one is above the law."