Demonstrators gathered in Bologna’s Piazza del Nettuno and other parts of the city demanding justice for Fakir, while accusing authorities of failing to address systemic discrimination and police violence targeting migrants and racialized communities in Italy.
The protests followed the circulation of video footage showing Fakir pinned to the ground by police officers while repeatedly calling for help and saying he could not breathe. Moments later, he stopped moving.
According to local reports, police were responding to a call about a man allegedly damaging a vehicle in Bologna’s Pilastro neighborhood. Officers said they used pepper spray and physical restraint after Fakir allegedly resisted arrest. His family disputes attempts to portray him as dangerous, noting that he was a legal permanent resident who had lived in Italy since childhood, operated a cleaning business, and suffered from asthma and heart problems.
“They killed my brother in cold blood. I want justice,” his sister Khadija Fakir told reporters.
The demonstrations turned tense as protesters denounced what they described as a pattern of impunity surrounding deaths in police custody. Clashes erupted after police used tear gas and water cannons against sections of the crowd.
Fakir’s death has reignited debate over the treatment of migrants and ethnic minorities in Italy, where rights groups have repeatedly documented racial profiling, discriminatory policing, and violence against migrants, refugees, and people of African and Arab descent. Anti-immigrant rhetoric has become increasingly normalized in political discourse, particularly under the government of far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Human rights advocates note that migrants in Italy often face not only economic marginalization and labor exploitation but also heightened police surveillance and criminalization. Several controversial deaths involving migrants and racialized individuals in police custody over the years have fueled accusations that authorities routinely fail to ensure accountability.
The protests also come amid a broader European trend of growing anti-immigrant politics, tighter border controls, and the expansion of security measures targeting migrant communities. Across Italy, civil society groups have warned that xenophobic narratives promoted by right-wing parties contribute to a climate in which migrants are increasingly treated as security threats rather than residents with rights.
Local authorities have called for calm while investigations continue. Bologna police said body-camera footage would be turned over to investigators, while health authorities launched a separate inquiry into the emergency response.
Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore acknowledged public concern over the incident, stating that “something clearly went wrong” and adding, “You cannot die like this.”
Prime Minister Meloni has called for the facts to be established but criticized what she described as efforts to incite hostility against police officers before the investigation concludes.
For many demonstrators, however, the issue extends beyond a single case. Protesters say Fakir’s death reflects deeper questions about racism, policing, and the treatment of migrants in contemporary Italy.
