Italy: Leftist Riot in Turin

-Il Giornale

In the northern Italian city of Torino (Turin), the capital of Piemonte (Piedmont), horrific rioting broke out Sunday evening. The riot was in response to the closure of a "social center" in Turin, named Askatasuna, which is a Basque word meaning "liberty". There are several social centers in Italian cities, which have largely evolved into centers for radical left ideology, including Antifa, and the pro-Palestinian movement. 

In the rioting, some 100 police officers were injured, including at least two who had to be hospitalized. One of them was seen on video being surrounded by several rioters and beaten with a hammer. Fortunately and miraculously, his condition is not serious. As of now, 24 people are in custody and efforts on underway to identify others.

Italian government officials are describing the riot as an act of guerrilla warfare against the state. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni traveled to Turin to visit the injured officers and to condemn the violence.

The below article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk. Meanwhile, we are working to add English subtitles to an Italian news video from another source.

Askatasuna, the toll of the guerrilla activity: About 100 police officers were injured. One of the attackers of the surrounded police officer is arrested. This is who he is.

The review of the surveillance cameras is still in progress to identify other subjects who took part in the (anti-government) violence

Francesca Galici, February 1, 2026, at 16:36 

What was seen last evening in Turin is extremely serious: The demonstration organized in support of Askatasuna has assumed levels of violence that had never been seen in our country, confirming that the escalation by the perpetrators is not only still ongoing, but has not yet reached its peak. The final official toll is around 100 members of law enforcement who were injured, in various levels of seriousness, including Alessandro Calista, officer of the Mobile Squad of Padua, who was surrounded, beaten, and struck with a hammer. Fortunately, he managed to avoid being hit in the head, having lost his helmet, and his current condition is not serious. 

In total, there were 3 arrests for what occurred last night: Digos (General Investigations and Special Operations Division) of the Questura (police hqs) in Turin, arrested (2) Italian men, ages 31 and 35, in the act, charging them with acts of resistance and violence against public officials.  A 22-year-old Tuscan was arrested for involvement in personal injuries against a public official on public service duty during the demonstration. He was identified through analysis of some videos, among the members of the group responsible for the violent attack on the Padua officer. He was also charged for violence against a public official for the same incidents, having being photographed on another occasion as he was throwing blunt objects at law enforcement, in addition to being involved in robbery, and being part of a group that, aside from inflicting injuries on a police officer, also took his badge, his U-boat (police watch) and his gas mask. 

In the course of the violence, the officers managed to arrest 24 persons in all, who were taken to the Turin police hqs, where they were completely identified and charged with various levels of resistance to police, possession of unauthorized weapons, wearing disguises, and failure to comply with police commands. Materials of various types were seized, including objects of disguise and objects used for attacks, such as stones (contained in backpacks), wrenches, slingshots, and knives. 

In the days prior to the demonstration, however, 30 entry bans (into a community) were issued, lasting 6 months to 4 years, 10 verbal orders, and 7 bans on entry into public spaces. There is as yet no number of injuries among demonstrators.

*Update (February 1, 2026): This link from Times of India has a video showing Palestinian flags during the demonstration that led to a full-scale riot.

(Update (February 1, 2026): Here is the video from TG24 (Italy)

Cultural Sensitivities: What Are the Limits?

This article first appeared in New English Review.

Padua, Italy

Aalst, Belgium

A story out of Italy this week has led to a public controversy over the question of respecting cultural sensitivities vs. personal and commercial freedom.

In the northern Italian city of Padua (Padova), some Muslim leaders are upset over a new food shop that specializes in pork. As an advertisement, the proprietor placed a plastic figure of a pig in the front shop window. One of the leaders in the local Muslim community has asked the city administrators to force the owner to remove the display since pigs and pork are considered offensive to Muslims.

In response, supporters of the shop point out that the pig itself is not offensive in any way, and besides, Italians have been eating pork for centuries. Why should they change what is an accepted part of their culture? In addition, the shop has Muslim employees who see nothing wrong with the display. The debate has spread from Padua all over Italy.

If I may jump in here, obviously, I support the shop, and I find it arrogant and offensive that a recent immigrant community (or at least certain members of that community) would demand that Italians remove something that has been accepted and innocuous in their nation and in their culture for centuries.

But the case does merit a discussion of the balance between cultural sensitivities and personal freedom. For example, I have previously written a couple of articles on the annual Fasching celebrations in Aalst, a small town in Belgium. For the last few years, the Jewish community has complained about floats that show age-old caricatures of Jews that refer to stereotypes, such as Jews being money-hoarders, etc. The caricatures bring to mind the images from Der Stuermer, the old Nazi weekly operated by Julius Streicher, who was also Gauleiter of Nuremberg. Streicher was one of the major Nazi leaders in the initial war crimes trial in Nuremberg, and he was convicted and hanged for inciting hate against Jews. It was deemed that his writing and his speeches were a factor that eventually contributed to the Final Solution. I would also add that during the Nazi years, Cologne's carnival season (Germany's most famous) also featured large negative caricatures of Jews similar to those of Aalst.

In the Belgian case, I take the side of the Jewish community since the images were deliberately and undeniably insulting to Jews as a people. While Muslims may abstain from eating pork, which is their right, and may have an aversion to the sight of a pig or a picture of a pig, the representation of a pig or advertising pork products is in no way meant to be directed at Muslims. 

And yes. They have chosen to immigrate to a nation where pork is regularly consumed. Nobody is saying they have to eat it, but they have no right to demand the removal of an image that they may consider in bad taste, when that image is normal in Italian society.

On the other hand, if the shop window were displaying images of Muslims or the Prophet Mohammad that were deliberately insulting, such as those displayed in Aalst against Jews, I would support the Muslim side. That is not the case here.

It should be noted here that in many European countries with large Muslim communities, some local schools are removing pork from their school menus.  I disagree with that since Muslim children are under no compulsion to eat pork in school.

In addition, a few years ago, a local imam in Munich actually asked the city to eliminate Oktoberfest since alcohol is supposedly forbidden under Islam. I say supposedly because in Turkey, they are very fond of their potent raki liquor and also produce great beer.

Of course, the Italian pork shop is just a small part of the overall issue of public discourse about Islam, terrorism, anti-Semitism, and our rights to publicly discuss these issues without painting every Muslim on the planet as a terrorist. But if a shop owner cannot even place a caricature of a pig in his front window, how can we enjoy the freedom to talk about all these other issues pertaining to Islam?

  

Italy: The Case of the Plastic Pig

 Hat tip Gates of Vienna

In the northern Italian city of Padua (Padova), a restaurant shop owner is at the center of controversy over the display of a plastic pig in the shop window. Since pork is the main specialty of the restaurant, it seems like a natural advertisement. Some members of the local Islamic community, however, want the pig removed because it offends Muslim sensitivities. Others disagree.

The below article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk. (For some reason, the 2nd paragraph appears in a different print with an orange bar. It is just a quirk of the blog that pops up every now and then)

In Padua, the removal of a gastronomic symbol is requested so as not to offend Muslim sensitivities

Maria Cristina Bellelli, January 27, 2026 at 11:48

Caption: Padua: Controversy over pig in shop window. The Islamic community asks for removal.

In the past few days in Padua, a curious controversy has developed  that has captured not just the attention of local residents, but national observers as well. In the heart of the city, in Piazza dei Signori, the "Mortadella..... e non  Solo" shop has recently opened, specializing in sandwiches and cured meats, as the name implies. To further identify the shop's activity, the figure of a plastic pig is displayed in the window, a clear and visual symbol of the type of products sold.

What for the shop owners and clients represents a very banal and innocuous advertisement for Italian food has become the object of a public request from some members of the local Islamic community. Doctor Salim El Mauoed, regional vice president of the (Islamic) community, has asked the owners and the city administration to remove the pig from the window, defining its presence as "in bad taste" and potentially irritating for the Muslims who frequent the city center.

The request has not resulted in any official measure on the part of the municipality, nor in any legal provision banning the use of pig figures in commercial signs. Still, the initiative has generated opposing reactions in the city and beyond.

Some politicians and citizens have defined the request as an interference in commercial freedom and in normal civic harmony, pointing out how a simple sign in a business could be transformed into a question of religious co-existence.

In a climate already filled with tensions over matters of identity and co-existence, the controversy has assumed wider dimensions: According to the promotors of the request, objects or symbols perceived as contrary to Islamic religious precepts, should be avoided in urban public space. Other observers, however, have stressed that the possible removal of a commercial symbol that is completely legal and free of discriminatory contents, would risk introducing a precedent in which demands from the Islamic community could affect practices and traditions built up over centuries. 

It is interesting to note that some Muslim employees of the shop have expressed a different opinion, defending the display of the plastic pig as an element consistent with the business' identity and not at all offensive.

The debate raises again a broader question that periodically emerges in the Italian news: The balance between respect for different cultural sensitivities and protection of individual and commercial  freedoms in an urban and multilateral context. In the past, similar episodes, connected to school menus, festive symbols, or traditional representations, have led to discussions on the difficulty of defining the limits of mutual respect without slipping into self-censorship.

For the time being, the plastic pig remains displayed, and the matter continues to be at the center of local and social discussions

Germany: Man Drags Woman In Front of Oncoming Metro Train

Around 10 pm last night, in Hamburg, a 25-year-old man from South Sudan dragged an 18-year-old Iranian woman with him onto the tracks in front of an incoming metro train. Both were killed. The motive for the murder-suicide is unknown, and initial reports are that the two did not know each other. 

Whether this was an act of jihad is unknown and unlikely. It should be noted that South Sudan is approximately 60% Christian, 6% Muslim, and the remainder other traditional religions.

The below article from Berliner Morgenpost is translated by Fousesquawk. It is only a partial translation since the remaining paragraphs only speak about similar incidents in other parts of Germany.

Man drags 18-year-old in front of metro train in Hamburg. Homicide squad investigates

January 30, 2026 at 13:25

Caption: Police officers working at Hamburg Metro stop at Wansbek Markt where two people were run over by an incoming subway train.

Two people were killed at a Hamburg Metro station. A 25-year-old jumped in front of an incoming subway train and pulled an 18-year-old woman with him onto the tracks. According to initial police findings, the Iranian citizen and the man from South Sudan did not know each other. The homicide squad is investigating a homicide.

Around 10 pm, the man was standing on the platform away from the young woman. Shortly afterward, he suddenly approached the woman, grabbed her, and dragged her with him onto the track. Why he did that is reportedly not clear. Video images and witness statements are being evaluated. As the Hamburger Abendblatt, which, like this medium, belongs to the Funke Media Group, reports, the 25-year-old had a valid residence permit at the time of the incident. 

Deadly incident in Metro: No traces left the morning after

After the deadly incident, several rescue services and police officers were in and in front of the station throughout the night. Police closed off the entrances so that no unauthorized persons could enter. According to police, witnesses received psychological counseling from the Crisis Intervention Team of the German Red Cross.

The German Railway expressed shock at the terrible event. "Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased and with our colleagues in Public Transport," said an S-Bahn spokeswoman. A spokesman of the Hamburg Public Transport called it, "a frightful incident".

{-----------}

Austria: Schoolyard Bullying Taken to New Level

Schoolyard bullying has always been with us, I guess, but at least I was never threatened with death when I was a kid. Over in Austria, a couple of weeks ago, a 14-year-old boy was beaten and threatened with death by two schoolmates, ages 13 and 14, before being forced to hand over his jacket. The 14-year-old has been charged since that's the legal age of criminal responsibility in Austria. The bully boys are reportedly Afghan and Syrian.

In recent years, we have reported on similar cases of kids being bullied and beaten in European schools by migrant children, most notably in Germany and Sweden.

The below article from Exxpress (Austria) is translated by Fousesquawk.

Shock in Vienna: 14-year-old threatened with death between school and home

A 14-year-old boy on his way home from school in the middle of January in Vienna-Doebling was attacked by two boys the same age.

The boy was beaten, threatened with death, and had to hand over his jacket, Julia Schick, police spokeswoman, reported on Thursday. Two suspects, ages 13 and 14, have since been identified.

The two boys reportedly followed the student on 16 January around 1 pm as he left the school building. He reportedly only knew them casually, the victim later reported. The boys demanded that he go with them. Then the Afghan and the one-year-old Syrian attacked the boy. 

Robbery investigators from the State Criminal Police identified the two suspects. The teenager, of legal age for criminal responsibility, was provisionally arrested per orders of the Vienna State Prosecutor's office. "He refused to make any statement" and was taken to a detention facility, the spokeswoman said. The 13-year-old made a partial confession and handed over the stolen jacket to police officers. He was reportedly released  

Italy: Pro-Hamas Mobs Trying to Disrupt Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Milan

Palestinian Winter Olympics  Terrorist Team

The little rascals are at it again. Yesterday, in several Italian cities, they disrupted and desecrated Holocaust Remembrance Day. Now, with the Winter Olympics scheduled to kick off in Milan on February 6, the pro-Hamas mobs are promising to disrupt it all. They want to interrupt the passage of the Olympic torch and, if possible, break through into the stadium to stop the lighting of the Olympic flame. The arrogance of these people is astounding. Despite all their Palestinian flags, they're just mad because the Palestinians don't have a contingent competing in the games. Then again, terrorism is not yet an Olympic sport.

(In the 1980s, I lived in an apartment directly across the street from San Siro Stadium.)

At any rate, the below article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk.

Milano-Cortina, the plan of the antagonists to disrupt the opening ceremony at San Siro

From attempts to stop the flame to demonstrations near the red zone for the lighting of the cauldron: The pro-Palestinians announce 3 days of mobilization to disrupt the start of the games

Francesa Galici, January 28, 2026 at 18:39

The opposing factions are organizing and ready to try a boycott of the Olympics of Milan-Cortina, which are already at the starting line with the inaugural ceremony scheduled for February 6 at San Siro Stadium. "From Friday, the 6th to Sunday, February 8, three days of struggle, convergence, mobilization, and public sport," they announce through their own channels, dictating the agenda of the initiatives they have organized to try and disrupt the organization. But beyond those announced, it is those of surprise that raise the greatest worry, even if the placement of security for the event, so that everything can run smoothly, is impressive.

"On Thursday, the 5th, will be the relay through several communities on the outskirts of Milan before entering Milan the same day for the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at Meazza Stadium on the evening of Friday, the 6th," the announcement further reads. Words that imply a clear objective: To interrupt the passage of the Olympic flame. They have tried several times throughout the journey through Italy, but without success, and it is difficult for them to do it now that the journey has almost reached its conclusion. "So we will unite that vast movement of solidarity with the Palestinian people and resistance, which, all along the route of the Olympic torch, from south to north, in the last month, has contested the Olympic symbol, sponsored by ENI and Leonardo (public energy companies) and the presence of the genocidal state of Israel in international sporting competitions," they write further.

On the 6th, a Thursday, which now seems to be a deeply rooted tradition in the country, union initiatives are planned in the city while, "in the late afternoon, on the other hand, we will cross through the residential neighborhood of San Siro with housing committees and unions, near the red zone around the stadium". This last announcement seems to coincide with the key movement of the opening ceremony when the Olympic cauldron will be lit at San Siro during the official ceremony. The provocation is clear, the attempt at sabotage, and it is not excluded that someone will attempt to breach the red zone to break inside.

The next day, the first real day of the Olympic Games, they have organized a national demonstration that "will cross through the parts of the city most involved with the Olympic devastation," on behalf of Palestine, against Bill 1660, against the state racism against the bodies of migrants and racialized persons". In short, the usual groups of antagonists have found the latest pretext to have a bit of publicity, but it will be difficult to achieve their objectives.

Italy: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Mar Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, but in some Italian cities, ceremonies were marred by the usual crowd of pro-Palestinian activists.  You would think on this solemn occasion, all people would show respect and restraint, but not the pro-Hamas terrorist supporters. They have no decency whatsoever.

The below article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk.

"You will never stop us". The crude pro-Palestinian provocations on the Day of Remembrance

The usual suspects with the Palestinian flags have tried to disturb the laying of a wreath in Bologna, forcing the president of the Bologna Jewish community, Daniel De Paz, to stay away

By Francesca Galici, January 27, 2026 at 17:05 

"You will never stop us". On (Holocaust) Remembrance Day, the pro-Palestinians go back on the attack with the provocations that they have practiced for the past two years, and despite police bans, they have confirmed demonstrations planned for today, one of which is in front of the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Rome. The goal of the pro-Palestinians is to disturb the activities in the headquarters led by Elly Schlein (and) to protest against the bill being introduced by Graziano Delrio against anti-Semitism, which, according to them, is a gag. The PD headquarters was cordoned off to avoid assaults, which, ultimately, did not occur because the handful of demonstrators was dispersed, with two dozen complaints filed.

"The only thing that should retreat are the bills that want to criminalize solidarity with Palestine. Our memory is good, and when we say, 'Never again', we mean stop with the genocide of the Palestinian people, stop with the complicity with the Zionist state," reads a message shared by the Coordination of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in Rome. "The Zionists, by their own admission, have lost the battle of the 8th Genocidal War Front, precisely on their own narrative (hasbara) of the genocide of the Palestinian people. Especially in Italy, where in a little over 2 years, thousands of small, medium, large, and very large initiatives in the entire country have positioned the movement of solidarity with the Palestinian people in more advanced positions, in respect to the mobilization that took place following the Palestinian resistance of October 7, 2023," the manifesto reads. Words that should be read between the lines to understand the effect (they) carry.

Speaking about the Delrio bill, it thus reads: "In conjunction with this concerted, repressive legislative action, the PD has exercised a consistent work of depolitization of the movement of solidarity with the Palestinian people, with the intent of protecting the Zionist executioner and transforming the Palestinian people into "victim" of a sort of catastrophic and random natural event, defined as genocide. In opposition to this insidious conduct, complicit with Zionism and covering up their crimes, we are determined to hold the Democratic Party accountable and to remove their mask behind which lies a real Euro-imperialist, Zionist, and warmongering face". There are 20 activists who have been reported for violation of the order from the police commissioner: They have been stopped and identified by police, asking them to leave. After having initially decided to remain, faced with a further warning, the group left the presideo.

In Bologna this morning, in Nettuno Square, there was yet another provocation on the part of some pro-Palestinians with flags and posters that disturbed the wreath-laying ceremony for (Holocaust) Remembrance Day. They forced the president of the Jewish community of Bologna, Daniele De Paz, to stay away, which forced only Mayor Matteo Lepore and Monsignor Stefano Ottani to (conduct) the (wreath) laying. Cagliari is also a city cordoned off on the Day of Remembrance due to an unauthorized demonstration by pro-Palestinians, who again flouted the ban by police headquarters.

In Torre del Greco, a pro-Palestinian group has denounced the ban on the demonstration organized for today to read passages about Palestine and (they) speak of "a clear and deliberate intimidation and pressure on the part of Naples police headquarters (as already occurred on the occasions of similar demonstrations in 2024, ed.) in a crescendo that arrived {....} with the stipulations: On January 27, Palestine is not to be discussed."

DePaul Suspends SJP Chapter

DePaul University (for all you UC Santa Cruz Community Studies majors, that's in Chicago) has become the latest university to suspend its Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. SJP at DePaul is suspended until 2027 as a result of its chronic disruptive behavior and charges of anti-Semitism. Campus Reform has the story here.

Here's a fun fact: DePaul is the same university that fired Norman Finkelstein several years ago. Unlike SJP, Finkelstein was permanently removed. The last time I saw him speak at UC Irvine, his "title" was "Independent scholar with a PhD from Princeton".

But I digress.

While I applaud this latest action by DePaul, the suspension of SJP should be made permanent. How many SJP suspensions do we have to see around the country before universities wake up to the fact that SJP is a malignant cancer that is bringing havoc and Jew hatred to our campuses? They will not change their stripes because of a suspension. I promise you, when SJP returns to DePaul in 2017, they will continue their same behavior. Not only should the suspension be permanent, but these students who engage in disruptive and anti-Semitic behavior should be expelled.

And who is Norman Finkelstein, you ask?

You don't wanna know.

          

"I'll be back, Fousesquawk."

More Minneapolis Video

 Since I wrote my piece yesterday on the latest shooting in Minneapolis, I have had a chance to view additional video. A couple of the questions I raised yesterday have been pretty much clarified. 

First of all, Alex Pretti was not carrying a weapon in his hand when he first engaged with the agents. It was a cell phone. 

Secondly, just a second or two before the first shot, one agent pulls a weapon from Pretti, which he immediately takes to a government vehicle.  

What remains unresolved from the video (at least for me), is whether or not Pretti at any point tried to draw that weapon while on the ground with several agents on top of him. At that point, it is a scrum, and he is partially obscured by all the bodies. For a couple of seconds, we can see his right hand, which, for that brief period, is empty.

I also see that the agent who appears to fire the initial shot begins to draw his weapon before it is taken by the other agent. Was that the point when he first saw the weapon? It is easy to conclude that once the weapon was in the hands of another agent, there was no reason to fire, but again, we are talking about a space of 1-2 seconds.

I still have faith that the feds will do a thorough and honest investigation. At this point, I think it is too soon to say either that the shooting was legally justified or that this was an execution, as some are claiming.

I know from first-hand experience that decisions to shoot are made within a second. When it is all over, the investigators, the lawyers, and the judges may conclude that the agent had a reasonable fear for his/her safety or the safety of others, or that he/she made a mistake.  

Italy: Il Giornale Under Attack by Islamists

As we have been reporting in the past day or so, here is the latest from Il Giornale journalist Giulia Sorrentino regarding the Islamist attacks against her, her newspaper, Il Giornale, and her editor-in-chief, Tommaso Cerno. The article is translated by Fousesquawk.

"Cerno is obsessed with Islamists". Shocking attack by pro-Hamas Piccardo, who celebrates October 7

The noted Islamist who has attacked the editor-in-chief of Il Giornale, is a supporter of Hannoun, Palestinian terrorists, the Muslim Brotherhood, and radical clerics who incite hate toward Jews.

-Giulia Sorrentino   24 January 2026 at 14:29

Editor-in-Chief Tommaso Cerno has become a target of the noted Islamist, Davide Piccardo, editor of the site, La Luce (The Light), who has never shied away from attacks against Cerno and our investigations.  He has done this by dedicating a video to him in addition to previous and innumerable attacks he has shown against him, in which he insults him, maintaining that his journalism is "5th grade style",  and that he is only obsessed with "seeking attention"  from the Islamic community, besides another series of insults.

But if there is one thing Cerno certainly does not have is obsessions, but a passion for the news he has always published, with courage and determination, without backing down one centimeter and transmitting that to all of his journalists: And in this case, what bothers Piccardo and company is that, according to the accusation, the top of Hamas in Italy, that is Hannoun and his associates, are in prison. And, indeed, Piccardo has not missed any occasion to show his solidarity with these people.

And Il Giornale is inconvenient precisely because in the face of real threats and concrete intimidation, it has not backed off, just like the usual style of its editor-in-chief. As for Piccardo, well, his past speaks for itself: Posts in which he wishes everyone a "happy October 7", alluding obviously to the day of the massacre committed at the hands of Hamas, already in 2017, we saw him on the streets with a t-shirt depicting the sign of 4-fingers, known as Rabaa, a symbol of solidarity with the Muslim Brotherhood and disseminating citations by Al Banna, the founder of the same movement. The publishing house, La Luce, has also published a book entitled "The Thorns and the Carnation", by Yahya Sinwar, one of the most well-known Palestinian terrorists, and the mastermind of the attack committed in 2023 by Hamas cut-throats.

Piccardo then defended the Swiss Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, convicted a few months ago by a federal tribunal for rape and sexual coercion. He has also taken the side of Tareq Suwaidan, whose entry into Italy was banned by the Ministry of Interior due to his radical positions. The same one who said in the past, as reported by Progetto Dreyfus: "All mothers of the Islamic nation-not just Palestinians- should nourish their children with hate towards Jews. We hate them. They are our enemy. We must instill this in the souls of our children until a new generation grows up and wipes them off the face of the earth...Each of us leaving this room should think of a plan to annihilate Israel." But according to Piccardo, " I can say without fear of contradiction that he has never, in any way, supported extremist or violent positions, quite the contrary. I have had the pleasure of meeting him. He suffers this ostracism only due to his anti-Zionist positions in supporting the Palestinian people." Of course, inciting hate against a people or a religion is not violence.  

Piccardo, who thinks he is giving lessons from on high about who knows what, is still the same person who insults Al Sisi (current Egyptian president) and praises Morsi (supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, ex-president of of Egypt), according to whom, "going to the April 25 demonstration with an Israeli flag means to insult the resistance", for whom, Mohammad Hannoun is only a victim and not a man accused of having made millions through charity to send money to Hamas, who goes hand in hand with the Turin preacher, Brahim Baya, who praises Sinwar, and together they talk about the political power of the Muslim community. Will someone stop the drift of figures like Davide Piccardo?

Minneapolis 2.0

 This morning, we woke up to the news that federal agents had shot and killed a protester in Minneapolis who was reportedly trying to interfere with an arrest. According to DHS, the man, a 37-year-old resident of Minneapolis, now identified as Alex Pretti, was armed with a handgun. There are now videos, which we have all seen,  showing a group of agents struggling with the man. The scuffle ends with Prettis being shot. A loaded handgun and two magazines were seized by the agents. 

As always, this case will be investigated by the appropriate federal agencies. The videos will be examined in detail, slow motion, clip by clip, to determine whether the actions of the agent(s) who shot Pretti did so with justification. What I want to know is whether Pretti had the gun in his hand at the time of the struggle. According to one DHS account I heard on TV, he was "brandishing" the weapon. Was it in his hand? Did he show it to the agents in his waistband when he approached? If it wasn't in his hand, was he attempting to reach for it during the struggle? 

According to what Minnesota officials have told us, Pretti legally owned the gun and also had a concealed carry permit. That, of course, would not have given him the right to draw it while confronting federal agents. Where that gun was when he was shot is crucial.

What happened after the shooting is deeply disturbing. It is clear at this point that these actions by protesters are largely organized and involve outside agitators as well as ordinary Minneapolis residents who are outraged by the previous shooting and now this.

What is clearly not helping the situation is the continued fanning of the anger by Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. Instead of urging more "peaceful" protests, they should be telling their citizens to stay home. Today, both of them basically passed judgment on the shooting. Walz promised that in the end, Minnesota will bring justice. Frey, just as he did, in the shooting death of  Renee Good, dismissed the claims of ICE/DHS that the shooting was in self-defense. Both of them prattled on about the "peaceful protests" going on in Minneapolis, even while the scenes of ICE agents being attacked played out.

And yes, President Trump does not help the situation with his comments.

How much of this could have been avoided had cities like Minneapolis not adopted their asinine sanctuary policies? How much safer it would be if ICE agents were able to pick up prisoners from local jails instead of having to track them down on the streets. It is regrettable that municipal and state police have not been securing the streets of Minneapolis while ICE goes about its business. It is they, not ICE, who are trained in crowd control. (Today, some MPD and State Police officers were sent to the scene, but were unable to secure it from the growing crowd.) Had Joe Biden not allowed millions of people with criminal or questionable backgrounds into our country, this entire nationwide operation might have been unnecessary. 

So here we are again. Can anyone say with any confidence that this will be the last person to die in Minneapolis?

Italy: Islamists Trying to Intimidate Italian Journalists

We are following a developing story out of Italy, where some Muslim activists and imams are attempting to intimidate an investigative journalist from Il Giornale. For some time now, we have translated many articles by Giulia Sorrentino on migrant crime, illegal mosques, and Islamist activism in Italy. This is the latest of Sorrentino's articles, appearing today in Il Giornale. It concerns a Turin-based imam named Brahim Baya and Davide Piccardo, who operates an Islamic site called La Luce (The Light).

Davide Piccardo

Brahim Baya

In addition, Tommaso Cerno, editor-in-chief of Il Giornale, has penned an editorial in today's edition, where he tells the Muslim activists what they can do with their threats and fatwas. Both are translated by Fousesquawk.

In addition, we are working on adding English subtitles to a video response by Sorrentino.

First is the article by Sorrentino.

The Party of Muslims advances: "We must have an impact at the polls"

The birth of an electoral "subject" confirmed in a social media broadcast by the preacher, Baya, and the activist, Piccardo. Shahin remains free.

Giulia Sorrentino 23 January 2026 at 14:40

Islam is penetrating our institutions. It is doing so through elections of municipal counselors with representatives who take positions increasingly clear on current issues and with the solid connection established between the Muslim communities, social centers, and extra-parliamentary acronym groups, strengthening themselves on the streets with the pro-Palestinian cause. However, the concept of political Islam is very far from that (which is) purely religious: It implies a precise idea according to which, there is no separation between religion and the State.

The Koran, the Sunna, and Sharia are the sources of law. Thinkers like Hassan al-Banna (founder of the Muslim Brotherhood), Sayyid Qutb, (and) Maududi have theorized that, "Islam is not just a religion, but a complete system of government, law, society, economy, and culture". That brings us to that expressed by Brahim Baya, Islamic preacher in Turin, and Davide Piccardo, founder of the Islamic site, La Luce (The Light), who have often attacked Il Giornale. During the latest live broadcast on social media, speaking precisely on the political participation of the Islamic community, they said what we have been theorizing for months.

"Our community makes up 3 or 4 million people. What I want from the community and those who lead this community is to make it aware of its rights, how to fight for their rights together with the rest of the citizenry. The problem is that our community is not necessarily involved and not necessarily aware of its weight and the possibility to assert its own rights, and it is this that emboldens the others to attack us more and more." A call to arms, or better, a call to the polls.

But Baya is certainly no stranger to similar discourse. It was he who expressed his opposition to the referendum on justice, just as he fervently defended the imam of via Saluzzo, in the Piedmont capital (Turin), Mohamed Shahin, whom the Turin Tribunal decided to release, notwithstanding the deportation order from the Interior Ministry and notwithstanding being considered a danger to national security. But wasn't it Baya who praised the life of Yahah Sinwar, considering him a martyr, when, in reality, he was the mastermind of the terrorist attack of October 7? And wasn't it Piccardo who posted phrases from the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood on his own social media or who wished a "happy October 7 to all"? Or who took to the streets on behalf of Mohamed Hannoun, accused of being Hamas' man in Italy? So, in what way do these people think they will insert themselves into politics? With the democratic principles or with the sacred Islamic laws? And hiding themselves behind the excuse of a rampant Islamophobia is the only way that some members of the Islamic community have to avoid discussing the issues.  

Because there is nothing Islamophobic in condemning those who praise Palestinian terrorism, just as there is nothing Islamophobic in trying to explain the principles that radical Islam brings forth in a manner incompatible with our Constitution. But they are the first to know; (it is) they who have not signed the agreement with the Italian State as required by Article 8 of our Constitution. 

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And here is the translation of the editorial by Cerno.

Keep your fatwas, Korans, and threats

We will continue to denounce the violence of some of your imams and to explain to the Italian people that radical Islam has taken over

By Tommaso Cerno

23 January 2026- 10:00

In order not to waste the time of supposed Koran experts, who, as far as I am concerned, are the Italian phalanx in the construction of the Islamist party, which, from France to the Mediterranean, wants to change the balance of politics to the left, I propose a deal with Mr Piccardo: Since we have no interest in you, in the sense that we will continue to report the contents of documents that we are uncovering, from the investigations opened on your members and sympathizers, on illegal mosques that become centers of recruitment, of the connections of your sympathizers with the Hamas terrorists, and we will continue to denounce the violence of some of your imams, and to explain to the Italian people that radical Islam has taken over, so we ask you not to try and intimidate us as often happens. As has happened in your pseudo-religious video, where, together with Mr Baya, you cited our Giornale, our editor, and our colleague, Giulia Sorrentino, who has been following this investigation for some time.

Because Giulia is a strong woman, who does not wear the burka nor the veil, who does not take orders from you nor allow herself to be frightened, just like any of us, let alone accept the gag of a nascent political movement. What we are waiting for are the denials. Thus far, we are receiving threats, free copies of the Koran, and various fatwas. To be honest, we have no fear of these, nor do we know what to do with them.

*Update (1-24-2026) Below is the video by Giulia Sorrentino: Subtitles by Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna. Translation by Fousesquawk.