Families whose members were injured in the February 23 peace march in Pisa have hired a pool of lawyers to prosecute agents who attacked participants. An internal investigation has also been launched by the police department. Minister of the Interior Matteo Pantadosi called it “an isolated incident.”
Hundreds of individuals including college and high school students and Palestine community members in Pisa participated in demonstrations, where police officers beat them back with nightsticks.
In Pisa, the policeman surrounded areas of the entrances to the Piazza dei Cavalieri and charged at the students who tried to cross the barriers. During the clashes, young people were stopped by the police and then immediately let go, for others this was not the case.
“We are deeply disturbed by what happened today in Pisa and we express our solidarity and closeness to the students,” said the directors of the Scuola Normale Superiore and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna. “As citizens, parents, and university presidents, we believe that the use of violence is unacceptable in the face of the protest for peace in Gaza.”
Investigators are continuing to evaluate the extent of the reaction by the officers. What has been learned from reports is that the police headquarters will file a detailed report with the prosecutor’s office for the judicial authority, accompanied by videos that were shot during the incident.
President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella pointed out to the minister of the Interior and found agreement, that the authority of the Police force is not measured by weapons but by its ability to ensure security while protecting. “Using nightsticks is a failure.”
With the number of photos, videos, and testimonies that have been collected, this incident will be seen in courtrooms. In Pisa, the case is in the hands of multiple lawyers who were asked to move to each location to prosecute the agents and carabinieri of the departments who participated in the acts of harm. (Gillian Melendez)
