On Sunday July 19 2026, Abderrahim Fakir, a citizen of Moroccan origin aged 42-43, residing in Borgonuovo di Sasso Marconi in the Bologna area, died in the Pilastro neighborhood of Bologna, in via Svevo, during a police intervention.

Established facts

According to reconstructions consistent across several news outlets, residents of the via Svevo building reported to law enforcement and emergency services the highly agitated behavior of Fakir, who was visiting relatives in the residential complex. Both a 118 ambulance and a police patrol car arrived on the scene. Officers, attempting to restrain the man who was reported to have struck a service vehicle, sprayed him with irritating spray and pinned him face-down on the ground, securing his wrists with plastic ties. A third individual, likely a resident, assisted the officers by holding Fakir's ankles. Emergency medical personnel from 118 were present during the intervention.

A video circulated among residents and later picked up by major news outlets shows Fakir crying "Help, enough" while being pinned to the ground. After a few minutes the man stops struggling and shows no further signs of response. Only afterward do rescuers attend to the body. The Red Cross ambulance Bologna65 arrived on scene at 12:30; the medical car Bologna101 confirmed the death at 12:53.

The investigations

The Bologna Prosecutor's Office has opened investigations into the death and ordered an autopsy. According to a statement from the Prosecutor's Office, the investigations will take into account the full sequence of events, of broader temporal scope than the video circulated online, and the actions of both law enforcement and medical personnel. The Prosecutor's Office will appoint a panel of experts including a forensic medical examiner, a toxicologist, and other medical consultants. Bodycam footage from the responding officers has been made available to the judicial authority.

The Bologna Police Headquarters stated that officers responded to a request from citizens who had reported a person in a state of extreme agitation and that, to restrain the individual, they were assisted by other citizens, also following damage to a vehicle. The headquarters confirmed the presence of 118 medical personnel during the restraint operations.

The Prosecutor's Office communicated that the officers involved will be entered in the preliminary annotations register provided under the new security decree regulations. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi clarified that this is not a "penal shield" but the placement of a case within a special register, concerning individuals who appear to have participated in an event involving a potential justification defense.

The Ausl of Bologna has also ordered internal reviews of the conduct of its medical personnel, declaring full availability to cooperate with the judicial authority.

Profile of the victim

Abderrahim Fakir was the owner of a handling and logistics company. He was married and lived in Borgonuovo di Sasso Marconi. He had been in Italy for many years, approximately 35 years according to some sources. The causes of his agitated state, including possible substance use, remain to be determined.

Family reactions

Fakir's sister, Kadija, expressed grief and accused the police of attacking and killing her brother, demanding "truth and justice." His niece Yossra Fakir, speaking during a public gathering, asked for "listening, truth and dignity," clarifying that the family does not seek hatred. Kadija Fakir collapsed with a medical episode during the gathering and was treated by 118 personnel.

The family's lawyer, Fabio Anselmo, condemned the clashes that occurred during the demonstrations, calling them an "attack on the Fakir family" which had repeatedly asked for calm and respect. Anselmo also denounced the circulation of information about the victim's past criminal record, speaking of a "denigration campaign" and possible disclosure of official secrecy. He called for the investigations to be conducted by an independent body rather than the same agency to which the individuals involved belong.

Protests and clashes

On July 20, two events took place in Bologna: a vigil called by Mayor Matteo Lepore in Piazza Maggiore in front of City Hall, and a march toward the Prefecture. The vigil was attended by thousands of people. A group of protesters headed toward the Prefecture, where clashes with law enforcement occurred. According to news agencies, some protesters threw bottles and firecrackers at officers in riot gear, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. Protesters removed the window protections from armored vehicles and threw them at the police vehicles.

Institutional and political reactions

Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore and Emilia-Romagna Regional President Michele De Pascale issued a joint statement calling for full clarity on the events, expressing closeness to the family and the Pilastro community. The mayor convened the public vigil, citing the city's commitment to truth and democratic values.

Fratelli d'Italia group leader in the Chamber of Deputies Galeazzo Bignami stated he was awaiting the results of the ongoing investigations, noting that based on available information the police intervention appeared to have been conducted professionally, and expressed solidarity with the officers involved.

Green-Left Senator Ilaria Cucchi spoke of an extremely serious event, drawing parallels with the cases of Riccardo Magherini and Federico Aldrovandi, and announced a parliamentary inquiry.

Lega leader Matteo Salvini criticized the left, accusing it of fueling hatred against law enforcement. Minister for European Affairs Tommaso Foti condemned anti-police chants during the protests, asking those holding institutional positions to distance themselves from messages of hatred.

Coisp Police Union secretary general Domenico Pianese criticized Mayor Lepore for convening the public square before the judiciary had completed its work, arguing that this contributed to rising tensions.

The Tgr Rai affair

The Tgr Emilia-Romagna did not broadcast a report on Fakir's death prepared by a reporter sent to the scene. The Editorial Committee, together with the Usigrai, Aser and Fnsi unions, contested the management's decision not to air the report, claiming that the removal of part of the video and the deletion of the expression "violent intervention" had been requested. The Tgr management rejected the accusations, stating that the reporter had been asked to make corrections for completeness reasons and that the story was nevertheless covered with a substantial update. the Journalists' Association of Emilia-Romagna expressed concern. The Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement requested clarification from Rai.

The Pilastro neighborhood

Pilastro is a working-class neighborhood in the eastern outskirts of Bologna, established in 1966 with the allocation of the first public housing units, occupied primarily by families from southern Italy. Over the decades the social composition has changed and the area is now home to many families of foreign origin. The neighborhood has been the scene of significant events, including the 1991 Uno Bianca massacre, and in recent years has experienced tensions related to the Children's Museum project.