An incident in Bologna, Italy has ignited street protests and a formal investigation after a man died during a police arrest.
Abderrahim Fakir, a Moroccan-born entrepreneur who ran a moving and cleaning business, died on Sunday while being restrained by officers. Police had responded to a call about a man behaving aggressively and damaging a vehicle.
Video of the incident, filmed by a resident and widely shared online, showed Fakir lying face down while two officers held him. He can be heard calling for help and struggling for breath before his movements stopped.
The footage prompted hundreds to protest in the Pilastro neighborhood where the death occurred. Demonstrators chanted anti-police slogans, with some adopting a raised-fist gesture associated with the Black Lives Matter movement.
According to reports, officers used pepper spray and restrained Fakir after he reacted aggressively during the arrest, which occurred on a day when temperatures exceeded 35°C. Police said they would provide bodycam footage to investigators.
"They killed my brother in cold blood, I want justice," Fakir's sister Khadija told reporters.
A second protest was planned for central Bologna, supported by the city's mayor and trade unions. The right-wing League party, part of the governing coalition, called for a rigorous investigation but stated that police were "doing their duty" in response to citizens' complaints.