Bologna, July 19, 2026 – The mobilization of the people of Pilastro was immediate. Over two hundred people gathered on via Svevo, where Abderrahim Fakir, 42 years old, died at the height of a police intervention, to demand justice. Slogans against the police and the gesture of kneeling with a raised fist, that is the protest methods of Black Lives Matter, born after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. In other words: Abderrahim’s death is “a State murder”. In a neighborhood already difficult for many reasons, those present pointed the finger at the police forces and chanted prayers for the deceased: <strong“They killed him!”. The Pilastro Popular Committee also participated in the initiative of Abderrahim’s family, with the unified demand that: “Responsibilities be ascertained”.
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Lepore’s invitation in Piazza Nettuno with the Pd
But that of this evening seems to be just a preview. The mayor Matteo Lepore, in fact, invited citizens “to meet tomorrow in Piazza Nettuno at 7 pm, to stand close to the Pilastro community in such a painful moment. Let’s gather to demand truth and justice about the death of Abderrahim Fakir to face this tragedy united as Bologna knows how to do.” The call was immediately taken up by the Bologna Pd, with the secretary Enrico Di Stasi (“We will be in the square”).
Support to the family also from de Pascale
A few hours earlier, in a joint statement with the president of the Region, Michele de Pascale, the mayor expressed “support to the family of the deceased person and to the entire Pilastro community. It is essential that full clarity is made on the facts. We trust the work of the competent institutions so that every circumstance is ascertained with the utmost speed, rigor, and transparency.” The same line from Pd parliamentarians Andrea De Maria (“Maximum trust in the judiciary”), Virginio Merola (“A timely clarification is needed”) and Sandra Zampa (“I join the demand for truth, I will be there in spirit in the square”).
Bignami (FdI) thanked the police forces
On the other political side, the FdI group leader in the Chamber, Galeazzo Bignami: “The death of a person is always a dramatic event. We await the outcome of the necessary ongoing investigations, but from what is understood the intervention of the Police Forces, requested by citizens and to which citizens contributed, was conducted professionally and in a manner appropriate to the type of need presented.” Bignami also said he called the Chief of Police, to express support to the two police officers involved in the intervention, “thanking them for the commitment they dedicate daily to protecting the safety of citizens.”
Ilaria Cucchi brings the case to Parliament
And if Communist Refoundation even recalls Trump’s ICE, the case will end up in Parliament thanks to Ilaria Cucchi (Avs): “I hope it is not yet another case like those of Riccardo Magherini or Federico Aldrovandi.”
The police statement
Then, it’s up to the police unions. “Investigations are needed to verify the exact dynamics of what happened. Therefore, bodycam footage, which we strongly advocated for – said Tonino Guglielmi (Sap) – will be fundamental. When someone dies it is always a tragedy involving family members, operators, and society. These events should never happen.” “Full support to the colleagues involved in the intervention – stressed Pasquale Palma (Siulp) –, aware that every police officer performs their service daily in contexts characterized by high tension. But also support to the family of the deceased person.” “What happened is obviously a tragedy for everyone, including the police forces – added Leo Pesce, Coisp secretary –. Preliminary investigations will confirm the full legitimacy of their actions.”
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