Jewish demonstrators attacked by Arabs in Milan, where was the police?

The scenes seen in Milan’s most central square, Piazza Duomo, on Thursday, April 25^th 2024, are among the most absurd, embarrassing, and alarming so far seen in Italy, and in Europe since October 7^th, when the Israel-Hamas war broke out and antisemitism spread worldwide.

On April 25^th, Italy celebrates the National Liberation Day from Nazi occupation; among the forces that provided a major contribution to the liberation was the Jewish Brigade, present every year for the street celebrations.

Considering the strong tensions due to the war in Gaza, and the rampant antisemitism, the potential physical attacks against Jews present at the celebrations were very predictable, and that is exactly what happened, despite Duomo Square being heavily presided over by the police. As a matter of fact, the attack occurred right in front of a line of parked police vans, just about 150 meters from the entrance of the Church.

A group of North Africans wearing kefyas and Palestinian flags attacked the Jewish Brigade with punches, kicks, sticks, and at least one person was slashed with a blade. Many of the Jewish demonstrators were elderly people. The attack went on for minutes and minutes, while the volunteer City Angels were trying to keep the thugs away, basically performing the work that the police should have done. The scenes were caught on camera. Endless minutes and minutes of violence.

The thugs spat at and insulted the Jewish demonstrators, they sought physical confrontation in every possible way and they attacked the City Angels. One of the most saddening scenes is a woman with the Star of David sign banging her hand against the police van asking for help while her fellow Jews are being assaulted.

Where was the police? Why was the protection of the Brigade “commissioned” to the City Angels, who could do very little but managed to do a lot, putting their own safety at risk?

Why did it take so long for the police to intervene? These terrifying scenes did not occur in some parking lot on the outskirts of the city; they happened in the most central and tourist place of Milan. The square had been fully prepared for celebrations and a rally of the opposition parties was taking place there, so why did all this happen?

The Italian news channels covered and denounced the attack, indeed. However, three main issues need to be addressed: the gruesome aggression, the lack of adequate protection for the Jewish Brigade (otherwise it would not have been attacked), and the late intervention of the police, which is hard to explain.

These are images that we would never have wanted to comment on.