VIDEO | Tracks occupied in Bologna and trains stopped for 90 minutes for Gaza, Salvini: “The protesters will have to pay compensation”
Salvini announces a hard line against the pro-Gaza protesters who occupied the train tracks in the central station for about an hour yesterday afternoon in Bologna
by Davide Landi and Angela Sannai
BOLOGNA – Identify the protesters who occupied the tracks in Bologna last night and then report them civilly and criminally. This is what the Minister of Transport, Matteo Salvini, intends to do by announcing “consequences for those who blocked the trains” calling for “maximum severity with compensation for damages”. At the moment, the ministry explains, the images from the station’s cameras are being combed through and what happened last night, when a group of protesters occupied the tracks causing cancellations and delays of trains, is being explored.
The occupation, which took place at the central station of Bologna, lasted about an hour and ended around 8.30 pm: it was an initiative of the Young Palestinians promoted after the massacre of Rafah due to an Israeli raid. “Israel was a terrorist and a murderer”, shouted in chorus the approximately thousand activists present who invaded the tracks and waiting platforms. “We brought our anger here, take it across the city.” And again: “We have shown that we can block trains throughout Italy, if the genocide continues we will block everything.” The police intervened. The demonstrators then left the station and continued their protest around the city.
Salvini, who had already anticipated yesterday: “there will be consequences”, hopes for “the identification of all participants thanks to the numerous cameras”. The deputy prime minister and minister also asked for an assessment of the inconveniences: there is talk of five Arrows with slowdowns of between 20 and 95 minutes, five InterCities with slowdowns of up to half an hour, 30 regional convoys with slowdowns of between 20 minutes and 95 minutes, 11 regionals canceled and three limited. “All this with thousands of citizens penalized“.