by InTrieste
A pro-Palestinian demonstration in Trieste turned violent on Thursday evening, prompting strong condemnation from regional officials after reports of attacks on police officers and members of the press.
Massimiliano Fedriga, president of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, expressed solidarity with law enforcement and journalists who were assaulted during the unrest. “The right to protest has nothing to do with the desire to create chaos and devastation,” Mr. Fedriga said in a statement on Friday. He described the incidents as “intolerable in a civilized country.”
According to authorities, the demonstration, part of a series of protests in Italy in support of Palestinians, escalated beyond peaceful assembly. Alongside clashes with police, several reporters faced threats, intimidation, and physical aggression. Mr. Fedriga stressed that freedom of information is “an essential pillar of democracy” and warned against the normalization of such attacks.
The episode is not isolated. Last month, another journalist was harassed and prevented from working while covering a protest outside the Leonardo aerospace plant in Ronchi dei Legionari, also in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
“During peaceful demonstrations, journalists are not assaulted while documenting events,” Mr. Fedriga added. “The presence of agitators with no interest other than unleashing violence is undeniable.”
Local officials have not disclosed how many people were injured or detained during the protest. Law enforcement agencies are continuing to investigate the events of Thursday evening.
