Bologna, July 23, 2026 – After the death of Abderrahim Fakir during a police intervention on Sunday in the suburbs of Bologna’s Pilastro, after the night of guerrilla warfare that set fire to the historic center, after the attacks on Pd mayor Matteo Lepore from the center-right and former allies, there is a new element fueling an already heated situation: as revealed yesterday by the online edition of il Resto del Carlino-Qn, the Ministry of Interior has launched an investigation into the organization of the demonstration called by the municipal administration on Monday evening.
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The demonstration for Fakir’s death had not been agreed upon
The demonstration had not been agreed upon with the authorities before a press release was sent, and therefore, no formal written notice had been submitted to the police headquarters. The police, in fact, learned about the demonstration in Piazza del Nettuno from news websites that published the administration’s decision, as also confirmed by the Municipality in a note received yesterday afternoon, which specifies that there was “no request for cancellation of the demonstration during the two telephone conversations with the Prefecture and Police Headquarters on Monday morning.” The event, attended by 4,000 people, had already become the subject of controversy due to the heavy and violent clashes that erupted after the peaceful demonstration in the square.
The Ministry of Interior launches an investigation as a verification
Returning to the Ministry of Interior, the investigation was launched to verify the circumstances of the assembly’s convocation, given that no written practices on the matter were found. After the tragedy, the Municipality had made two communications, but to the press: a first declaration by Lepore – together with Michele de Pascale, regional president of Emilia-Romagna – in the afternoon, a second at 8:16 PM on Sunday with the announcement of the demonstration the following day.
The Municipality of Bologna: “2 messages sent to Prefecture and Police Headquarters”
The Municipality of Bologna confirms the circumstance and clarifies: “On Sunday, the press release announcing the demonstration was disseminated. Shortly after, the Mayor’s Office sent two messages to the representatives of the Prefecture and Police Headquarters, sharing the press release and providing advance notice, as required by the Consolidated Law on Local Authorities, of the initiative’s convocation. On Monday morning, two telephone conversations took place with the Prefecture and Police Headquarters. At 12:30 PM, a technical meeting was held, attended by the local police along with other law enforcement agencies. Subsequently, at 6 PM, the Provincial Committee for Order and Security met: neither during the telephone conversations, nor during the technical meeting, nor at the Provincial Committee meeting was a formal request for cancellation of the demonstration made.”
“The distinction from the antagonists’ demonstration was clearly represented”
“During the discussions, the Police Headquarters communicated that it was aware of a distinct demonstration called by some antagonistic movements – concludes the note from the Municipality led by Lepore –: the distinction between the two initiatives was clearly represented from the beginning. The demonstration promoted by the Municipality took place as a moment of institutional reflection: Fakir’s family members were given the floor, and they repeatedly distanced themselves from the violence.”
The center-right continues to demand Lepore’s resignation
However, these elements do not seem to convince the center-right: Senator Marco Lisei (FdI) has already submitted a parliamentary question, while the Bolognese opposition continues to loudly demand the mayor’s resignation. A Senate inquiry was also submitted by Marco Lombardo (Azione), who asks for clarification on Fakir’s death because “institutions have a duty to question the aspects concerning arrest operations.” Finally, there are those who side with Lepore: an appeal signed by 35 mayors (all center-left) in defense of their colleague, from Milan to Rome, from Genoa to Turin, and other cities.
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