Protests have broken out in the Italian city of Bologna after a Moroccan-born man died while being restrained by police during an arrest.
The victim, Abderrahim Fakir, 42, died on Sunday after officers responded to reports of a man behaving erratically in the Pilastro neighbourhood.
Videos circulating on social media show two police officers pinning Fakir face-down on the ground while he repeatedly cried out for help. Another man, believed to be a local resident, was seen holding his legs during the restraint.
Local media reported that police also used pepper spray during the incident. Fakir was heard pleading for water and asking officers to stop before he eventually became motionless.
He was later handcuffed and his legs were tied together. Despite paramedics being present at the scene, Fakir was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
Authorities said police had been called after residents reported an agitated man shouting in the area. Police also alleged Fakir had struck a police vehicle before officers attempted to restrain him.
The exact cause of death has not been determined. Local reports suggested he may have suffered a severe asthma attack or cardiac arrest, while prosecutors have ordered an autopsy.
Police said body camera footage from the incident will be handed to judicial authorities as part of the investigation.
Fakir’s family has demanded answers, alleging excessive force was used during the arrest.
“We don’t know what happened. We only received a phone call saying he was dead,” his sister, Khadija, told local media. She also called for justice over her brother’s death.
The incident has sparked demonstrations across Bologna, with hundreds of protesters calling for accountability. Some demonstrators knelt with raised fists in scenes that drew comparisons on social media to the death of George Floyd in the United States in 2020.
Bologna prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the police operation. The investigation covers two police officers and four ambulance workers involved in the incident, although authorities said no one has been formally named as a suspect at this stage.
