A chaotic melee between lawmakers was captured on video inside the Italian parliament on Wednesday, just one day before the annual Group of Seven summit in the Italian region of Puglia.
A video posted to Twitter on Thursday shows one man trying to step forward to unfurl the Italian flag, with several people confronting him. The confrontation then escalates into a brawl, with men grabbing each other and appearing to fight. (Related article: Establishment leaders rebel against overwhelming right-wing victory)
Latest update: Fistfights break out in the Italian Parliament, forcing one lawmaker to leave the building in a wheelchair.
The incident occurred over a vote on a new bill that would give more autonomy to Italian local governments.
Leonardo Donno, who opposes the bill, waves his hand… pic.twitter.com/ytOwie8BAt
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 13, 2024
“I’m at a loss for words,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Italy’s Sky TG24 news channel. “To solve political problems, we need to set a new example, not by fighting.”
The row between lawmakers reportedly began over a bill that seeks to give more autonomy to certain regions. according to During the meeting, opposition lawmaker Leonardo Donno reportedly tried to hand Minister Roberto Calderoli an Italian flag, The Washington Post reported, later telling an Italian news agency: Adchronos said he only approached Calderoli to hand him the flag and “nothing else.”
“Then chaos ensued,” Dono told the outlet. “I was not only kicked a few times, but I also received a very hard blow to my sternum, I couldn’t breathe and collapsed.”
Opponents of the bill, at the heart of the unrest, argue that greater autonomy would intensify the division between north and south of Italy and bring further hardship to the already impoverished southern region, according to the Washington Post.
The G7 summit in Italy will begin on Thursday and run until Saturday, with world leaders from the European Union and other developed countries invited to the country to discuss current global challenges, the media reported.
