Abderrahim Fakir, 42, died after being pepper sprayed and restrained by police in Bologna, prompting protests across the city and a manslaughter investigation into the officers and paramedics involved, in a case drawing comparisons to the death of George Floyd.
Protests have broken out in Bologna after a Moroccan migrant died while being restrained by Italian police, in a case that has drawn comparisons to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020. Abderrahim Fakir, 42, who ran a small cleaning business in the city, died on Sunday after officers were called to reports of him behaving erratically in the Pilastro neighbourhood, where temperatures were reported to be above 35°C (95°F). Footage of the incident shows officers pinning Fakir face-down while he pleaded for help, before his movements stopped and his feet were tied together. Prosecutors have since opened a manslaughter investigation and ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
What the footage shows
Video circulating from the incident shows two police officers restraining Fakir face-down on the ground as he screamed for help, with a third person, believed to be a local resident, holding his feet. Two paramedics can be seen standing nearby, along with three other bystanders. Fakir was heard repeatedly crying out, “Help, enough, enough,” and later begging for water as the struggle continued for several minutes. Local media reported that police used pepper spray on him during the confrontation. His movements eventually stopped, and officers and a resident were then seen tying his feet together.
Police account of events
According to police, officers were called to the area after residents reported a man shouting and behaving in an agitated manner. Authorities said Fakir had allegedly struck a police vehicle before officers arrived and attempted to contain him. Police said they had initially attempted to calm him before deploying pepper spray and physically restraining him after he became aggressive. In a statement, police said: “After containment operations, which were carried out in the presence of paramedics, the man died.” Officers said residents had assisted in containing Fakir following the damage to the vehicle.
It remains unclear exactly how Fakir died, with some reports suggesting he may have suffered a severe asthma attack or cardiac arrest. Investigators are now awaiting the results of the court-ordered autopsy, which is expected to play a key role in establishing the cause of death.
Investigation under way
Bologna prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into what they described as the “various phases” of the police operation. The names of two police officers and four ambulance workers have been placed in a preliminary judicial register as part of the inquiry, though prosecutors stressed that no one has yet been formally named as a suspect. Investigators said their probe would examine the full sequence of events, including the periods before and after the footage that circulated online, noting that the video is not believed to capture the entire incident. Police have confirmed that body-worn camera footage from the officers involved has been handed over to prosecutors.
Family’s response
Fakir’s sister, Khadija, said the family had received only a phone call informing them of his death. “I demand justice. I want revenge. I will never find peace until my brother gets justice,” she told local media. “We don’t know what happened; we only received a phone call saying he was dead. They handcuffed him, and he died. They attacked him… and they beat him. There are witnesses.” She added: “If someone is agitated, you have to calm them down.”
According to his family, Fakir, who lived with his brother, had a history of minor criminal offences and suffered from underlying health conditions. His lawyer, Barbara Spinelli, described him as “an extremely kind, polite, and respectful person. A worker who cared about his company and his employees. He’s the last client I’d imagine would suffer such an end.” Spinelli said Fakir had been living legally in Italy since childhood and had been in the process of renewing his residence permit.
Protests and political reaction
The footage sparked protests across Bologna, with hundreds of demonstrators taking to the streets to demand answers over Fakir’s death. Protesters reportedly chanted anti-police slogans and knelt with raised fists, a gesture associated with the Black Lives Matter movement following George Floyd’s death. Bologna’s centre-left Mayor, Matteo Lepore, called for a public gathering in Piazza Nettuno to demand “truth and justice” and to show solidarity with the local community, with further demonstrations backed by the Cgil trade union and other left-wing groups.
The case has exposed a political divide in Italy. Opposition politicians have called for full accountability over Fakir’s death, while members of the governing coalition have defended the officers pending the outcome of the investigation. The League party, part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, called for a full investigation but said officers had been “doing their duty” after being called by “exasperated citizens.”
