A protest against the Virtus-Maccabi basketball match in Bologna erupted into chaos on Friday, with masked rioters attacking police with flares, firecrackers, and glass bottles.
The protest was organized under the slogan “Show Israel the Red Card: Let’s Block Everything!” and began as a march of thousands from Piazza Maggiore, then grew violent on Via Lame, where demonstrators took down barriers, wooden sticks, and other materials from a construction site.
Protestors clashed with the nearly 400 law enforcement officers deployed to keep the peace, attacking them when police fired tear gas and water cannons to break up the march.
Police attacked with makeshift weapons
The protest split into groups of masked rioters who confronted police with tools from construction sites, trash bins, clubs, and glass bottles.
At one location, a barricade was constructed from flaming dumpsters and construction site barriers. A water cannon was deployed, forcing the protesters back, where the police beat them and chased them away.
Eight police officers were injured during the riots, and no arrests were made. However, fifteen people were identified with their whereabouts to be assessed later by the Special Operations Unit.
The riot was a culmination of a week-long protest against the match, which sparked controversy over its location, with some suggesting it should be moved or postponed. Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore had proposed relocating the match outside the city, but Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi rejected the idea, stating that the government intended to ensure the game proceeded safely even if extra security measures were required.
The protest was promoted widely online, with posts expressing solidarity with Gaza and promoting rhetoric against Israel and Israeli citizens.
