Man dies during Bologna police arrest, sparking protests

A Moroccan-born man, Abderrahim Fakir, died in Bologna, Italy, on Sunday after repeatedly pleading for help while being restrained by police. Video footage widely shared in Italian media shows two officers sitting on Fakir, who reportedly had heart issues and asthma, as ambulance workers looked on. After he stopped moving, officers bound his ankles before checking his vital signs. Prosecutors have opened an investigation and requested bodycam footage. Fakir, 42, had moved to Italy at age five and ran a business. His sister stated he was "killed in cold blood." Police had been called to the scene due to Fakir's erratic and aggressive behavior. During protests on Monday night, demonstrators threw firecrackers near police buildings, and police responded with tear gas and water cannons. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for a full investigation into the death and condemned the violence against police during a protest that left 56 officers injured. "It is essential that any responsibilities be ascertained with the utmost rigour. The truth must be pursued thoroughly, without prejudice and without leniency toward anyone," Meloni wrote on X. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi defended the police, stating that "Just as every citizen has the right to the presumption of innocence, the same principle must apply to those who wear a uniform."