BOLOGNA “We want to give a clear signal: episodes like the one they told us today must not happen and cannot leave us indifferent as a community. We are all called to assume responsibility, Bologna is their home”. The mayor reiterated this Matteo Lepore and the deputy mayor Emily Clancy during the meeting this morning in the Municipality with the family of Senegalese origin who was the victim of a racially motivated attack in the Corticella area of Bologna.
A few days ago Nabu Dieng, in Italy for 25 years, her husband Mbacke and her two children aged 9 and 18 were offended and targeted by a group of people after parking the car in front of a suburban club in Corticella near Candilejas. The woman, being afraid of dogs and seeing two of them free, asked her owners, who were in a nearby bar, to tie them up. When one of her dogs approached her, Nabu began to scream. The husband insisted that they be kept on a leash. At that point the insults began, then pushes and punches: “If you are afraid of dogs, go back to your home”, that’s what they were told.
“I replied that this is my house but the woman insisted: no, this is not your house, because you are f***ing n***ers”, reports Nabu. Tension rises, the husband records everything on his cell phone.
The children were also involved: the youngest was pushed to the ground by another person, and her brother was also pulled. The intervention of the police then made the group that attacked the family run away with the dogs. The ambulance took the children to the emergency room. “They hurt the little girl’s neck and back, my son’s shoulder, my husband also still has a swollen finger – explained Nabu – We will file a complaint, this is total racism. They spit racism in your face. It’s sad “. A complaint has already been filed with the police and a solidarity rally has been organized for Thursday at 7pm exactly where the events occurred, in which the municipal administration will participate.
“We will also be at their side for whatever is necessary after the complaint they have already filed, such as psychological and accompanying support for reporting to the Observatory for safety against discriminatory acts, through our Anti-discrimination desk – continue the mayor and deputy – As city we are strongly committed to inclusion and to combating all forms of discrimination, we are certain that the people of Bologna will be able to make their closeness to Nabu and his family felt”.
