Italians protest in Bologna after Moroccan man dies during arrest

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing news agencies, reported that police used tear gas and water cannon in Bologna, Italy, during a second night of demonstrations after Abderrahim Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan entrepreneur, died while officers were detaining him. Hundreds gathered on Monday evening, July 20, 2026, following the incident the previous night; the report said some protesters threw firecrackers as tensions escalated.

According to the report, police had responded after allegations of aggressive behaviour. A resident’s video widely shared online shows Fakir lying face down while two officers restrain him. Al Jazeera reported that he repeatedly called for help before going quiet, and that officers bound his ankles before checking his vital signs. Media reports cited in the article said officers used pepper spray and held him down while trying to handcuff him after he reacted aggressively.

The death has prompted comparisons with the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Some Bologna demonstrators knelt with raised fists, a gesture associated with Black Lives Matter, while others held Fakir’s photograph. The case has also become a political flashpoint: Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and allies in Italy’s right-wing government defended the officers and criticized the protests, while Bologna’s mayor, major trade unions and opposition figures backed the demonstrations or faulted the government’s approach.

Al Jazeera reported that Bologna prosecutors have opened an inquiry under a new legal procedure and requested body-camera footage from the officers involved. The investigation is significant because it may clarify the actions taken during the restraint and shape the broader debate in Italy over policing, immigration and accountability.