Something broke: Italy's Arab communities increasingly fearful of police violence

A climate of fear and exclusion

The recent deaths of Abderrahim Fakir and Mohamed Amin Bessioud have reignited long-standing concerns over policing within Italy's Arab communities, particularly in neighbourhoods with large migrant populations. The cases have sparked protests and demands for truth, accountability and justice. The public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for manslaughter in the case of Fakir, while prosecutors have opened an investigation into the circumstances of Bessioud's death.

The deaths came after years of cases that have profoundly marked the community, including the shooting of Youns El Boussettaoui in 2021, the death of Ramy Elgaml after a police chase in late 2024, and the shooting of Abderrahim Mansouri in January during a drug control operation in Milan's Corvetto district. The cases have sparked widespread outrage and demands for change.

Italian activists argue that the emergency legislation introduced in the name of 'public safety' has created exceptional categories in the name of security, discriminating against people of Middle Eastern and African origins. They argue that the law no longer openly declares people unequal, but instead creates categories in the name of security. Equality remains in theory, but not in practice.

The deaths of Fakir and Bessioud have also highlighted the lack of response from the Italian Red Cross. Footage filmed from a nearby apartment appeared to show Fakir handcuffed, sprayed with tear gas and pinned to the ground by police officers for several minutes while repeatedly calling for help. The video quickly spread across social media, prompting outrage among the opposition and a segment of the public.

The cases have also raised questions about the use of force by police. Italian activists argue that police unions and right-wing politicians have accused the mayor of Bologna, Matteo Lepore, of legitimising violence against law enforcement during the protest. However, grassroots organisations argue that the administration had responded to years of neglect in Pilastro - the working-class neighbourhood where Fakir was killed - with increased policing rather than sustained social investment.

The deaths of Fakir and Bessioud have also highlighted the need for sustained social investment in working-class districts. Power to the People, a communist party, has accused both the municipality and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government of accelerating the militarisation of one of Bologna's poorest neighbourhoods. The party argues that security policies pursued by local and national authorities increasingly treat working-class districts as public-order problems instead of addressing the structural inequalities that have shaped them for decades.

In fact, for Arabs in Italy, the deaths of Fakir and Bessioud cannot be understood in isolation but as part of a broader climate of discrimination where policing, migration and political dissent have become increasingly intertwined under the language of security.

The militarisation of working-class districts

The deaths of Fakir and Bessioud have also highlighted the militarisation of working-class districts. Power to the People has accused both the municipality and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government of accelerating the militarisation of one of Bologna's poorest neighbourhoods. The party argues that security policies pursued by local and national authorities increasingly treat working-class districts as public-order problems instead of addressing the structural inequalities that have shaped them for decades.

Italian activists argue that the emergency legislation introduced in the name of 'public safety' has created exceptional categories in the name of security, discriminating against people of Middle Eastern and African origins. They argue that the law no longer openly declares people unequal, but instead creates categories in the name of security. Equality remains in theory, but not in practice.

The need for sustained social investment

The deaths of Fakir and Bessioud have also highlighted the need for sustained social investment in working-class districts. Power to the People has accused both the municipality and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government of accelerating the militarisation of one of Bologna's poorest neighbourhoods. The party argues that security policies pursued by local and national authorities increasingly treat working-class districts as public-order problems instead of addressing the structural inequalities that have shaped them for decades.

Italian activists argue that the emergency legislation introduced in the name of 'public safety' has created exceptional categories in the name of security, discriminating against people of Middle Eastern and African origins. They argue that the law no longer openly declares people unequal, but instead creates categories in the name of security. Equality remains in theory, but not in practice.