Members of a pro-Palestine protest in Rome reportedly defaced a statue honouring the late Pope John Paul II with graffiti that described him as a “fascist”.
The statue of Pope John Paul II in the Piazza Cinquecento outside of Rome’s Termini railway station was spray-painted with the communist hammer and sickle symbol and the words “fascist shit”. Meanwhile, a keffiyeh headdress was wrapped around the statue’s neck.
The act of vandalism was discovered on September 26th by the Carabinieri national gendarmerie following a pro-Palestine demonstration in the Italian capital, La Repubblica reported on Saturday.
Responding to the incident, Deputy Italian PM Matteo Salvini remarked, “Desperately seeking a brain for these poor imbeciles.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the anti-Israel vandals, saying: “They say they’re taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace.”
“An unworthy act committed by people blinded by ideology, demonstrating total ignorance of history and its protagonists.”
Indeed, rather than being a “fascist”, Pope John Paul II was a Polish survivor of the Nazi occupation of his country as a younger man and had personally saved a Jewish woman during the Holocaust.
He further survived the Soviet occupation of Poland and became a leading voice against communist authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe through his spiritual leadership.
The disclosure of the vandalism came as hundreds of thousands protested again across Italy over the weekend.
At the pro-Palestine demonstration in Rome, 11 people were arrested, and a further 262 have been identified as being involved with clashes with police, Il Sole 24 Ore reported.
The paper reported that hundreds of hooded protesters set fires and clashed with police in the evening, resulting in 35 officers being injured and prompting the force to deploy water cannons against the mob.
Prime Minister Meloni said of the violent scenes: “A heartfelt thank you to the Law Enforcement Agencies for the extraordinary work carried out in these complex days, despite having had to face attacks, objects thrown at them, and organised attempts at confrontation.
“I stand with all the agents who were injured: their professionalism and courage represent an indispensable safeguard for the security of our Nation.”
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