Death in police custody ignites Bologna street protests

Video footage showing Abderrahim Fakir struggling to breathe while restrained face-down by two police officers in Bologna has set off street protests across Italy's northern city and drawn international comparisons to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. According to the BBC, dozens of people were injured during demonstrations that followed the incident, with the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stating that "nothing can justify violence against the forces of order" even as she called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances of Fakir's death.

Modern Ghana reported that Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan-born entrepreneur, died while being forcibly restrained by the officers. The incident has prompted a formal prosecutorial investigation and reignited debate in Italy over police tactics, immigration policy and accountability in law enforcement. The case has drawn international attention as part of a wider pattern of scrutiny on police use of force in European cities.