Italian police assault pro-Palestine protesters in Naples, Italy

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Feb 2024 05:40
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The demonstrators accuse the state-owned Rai broadcaster management of supporting the Israeli occupation and overlooking its crimes.

An injured protester who took part in demonstrations outside the headquarters of the official broadcasting network Rai in the southern Italian city of Naples, following clashes with the police. (Social media)

Italian police clashed Tuesday with pro-Palestine protesters outside the headquarters of the official broadcasting network Rai in the southern Italian city of Naples.

The demonstrators accused the Rai management of supporting the Israeli occupation and overlooking its crimes against the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The protesters chanted, "Palestine will be free," before being pushed away from the gates of the broadcasting headquarters by riot police.

Manganellate sotto la sede RAI di Napoli contro il comunicato pro Israele ai manifestanti in presidio in solidarietà alla Palestina. Una compagna è stata colpita sull’occhio ed è sanguinante pic.twitter.com/Lw5U3WB0aC
— jewls 🇱🇧 🇵🇸 (@lukeslaughters) February 13, 2024

One protester said over a loudspeaker, "Next time, Rai should think twice before openly stating that it stands with Israel in the genocide."

According to the Italian news agency, five police officers and five protesters were injured in the clashes.

Vi siete beccati la risposta alle vostre bastonate ... ipocriti, bugiardi: #napoli #manifestazione #rai #ghali pic.twitter.com/a6qZpbQFQh
— Mariano Havlicek (@miohlik) February 14, 2024

The call for the protest came after Rai distanced itself from an appeal made by a popular Italian-Tunisian rap singer named Ghali at the end of the Sanremo Italian Song Festival, Italy's largest entertainment event.

Ghali had asked for a halt to the ongoing genocide on stage, saying, "Stop the war, stop the genocide."

Critics of Rai argue that it has fallen under the control of the right-wing coalition government in the country, which strongly supports "Israel".

In an angry response to the rapper, Alon Bar, the Israeli occupation's ambassador to Italy, claimed the festival has been used to "spread hatred and provocation in a superficial, irresponsible way."

Amid the uproar, Roberto Sergio, the CEO of Rai, the state-owned broadcaster that airs the event, yielded to Israeli pressure and claimed to have sympathy for the "people of Israel," completely sidelining the Palestinians, while ensuring the network's shows recount the tales of Israeli captives every day and recall what he dubbed the "massacre" of October 7.

Ghali, a child of Tunisian immigrants to Italy, told Rai talk show Domenica that he has spoken out against such injustice before October 7, from as early as when he was 7 years old. He described the Israeli ambassador's comments as "not good", citing that the "policy of terror continues, people are afraid to say stop the war, stop the genocide, we are living in a moment in which people feel that they are losing something if they say long live peace."