Clashes at the procession for Ramy: Meloni’s anger, "Ignoble episode of disorder and chaos"

“Between paper bombs, smoke bombs and attacks, last night in Rome we witnessed yet another ignoble episode of disorder and chaos at the hands of the usual troublemakers who took to the streets not to demonstrate for a cause, but rather out of pure vengeful spirit”. This is how Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni commented on social media clashes between protesters and police broke out in the San Lorenzo neighborhood in the capital, during a garrison for Ramy, the 19 year old Egyptian died on November 24 in Milan during a police chase. “A tragedy cannot be used to legitimize violence – he adds. Our solidarity goes to the police forces, together with our best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured officers. We are on your side”.

Night of vandalism in Bologna

During the night, the Synagogue of Bologna was also attacked and suffered vandalism.Two protesters were reported by the police who stopped them and then released them. This is a 23-year-old, who was reported for resisting a public official, carrying objects capable of causing aggravated offence, failure to give notice of a demonstration, and misrepresentation and a 30-year-old accused of resisting and aggravated injury to a public official, failure to give notice of a demonstration and misrepresentation. During the march last night, protesters threw bottles, paper bombs and smoke bombs. Many parts of the city were devastated with terraces destroyed and bins overturned and set on fire. According to what the Bologna police report, several writings were also made to express solidarity with Ramy in via de’ Gombruti, near the Synagogue of Bologna, and in the same street the barriers of a construction site were torn down and the material that it was inside on the street. Finally, ten law enforcement officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators.

“Particular concern must be expressed for the acts of vandalism and threats against the Synagogue of Bologna, for which I express my solidarity with the Jewish community”, wrote the mayor of Bologna Matteo Lepore on Facebook

Ramy families against violence

Ramy Elgaml’s family”strongly condemns all forms of violence and vandalism that has occurred in the demonstrations of the last few hours” and asks that “his figure not be exploited for purposes that have nothing to do with our request for truth and justice for which we have placed maximum trust in the judiciary and in the forces of order”. In the statement to AGI through the lawyer Barbara Indovina, the young man’s family, starting with his father Yehia Elgaml, distance themselves for the umpteenth time from episodes of violence linked to their son’s name, with particular reference to what happened yesterday during yesterday’s procession in Rome: “We, the family of Ramy Elgaml, wish to clearly and firmly express our position regarding the events that followed the tragic death of our dear Ramy. The loss of Ramy is an immense and unbearable pain for us. Our only wish is that justice follows its course without exploitation. We are deeply disturbed to learn that Ramy’s name is being used as a pretext for acts of violence. We strongly condemn all forms of violence and vandalism that have occurred in the demonstrations of the past few hours. We believe that Ramy’s memory should be a symbol of unity, not of division or destruction. Our appeal is aimed at all those who choose to honor his memory: do so in a peaceful and constructive way, through dialogue and mutual respect” .

Furthermore, the family continues, “we dissociate ourselves from any political use of our son’s name. Ramy was a boy full of life, loved by his family and friends, and we do not want his figure to be exploited for purposes that have no nothing to do with our request for truth and justice for which we have placed maximum trust in the judiciary and the police. We ask everyone to respect our pain and join us in the search for a path that leads to a true justice, without hatred, without violence and without divisions”.

Gualtieri: “Unacceptable”

“The riots and acts of vandalism last night in Rome and the extensive damage this night in Bologna, including that near the Synagogue, are unacceptable.” Thus in a note the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri. “The legitimate request for clarity regarding a tragic event like that of the young boy who died in Milan – he observes – has nothing to do with violence and words like ‘revenge’. When violent people infiltrate demonstrations they do nothing but damage the cause for which they say they are demonstrating. I spoke to the prefect Giannini and the police commissioner Massucci to whom I expressed solidarity with the injured officers and the police forces involved yesterday in the San Lorenzo district in order to ensure the demonstration takes place”.