Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Italian ex-leader Conte attacked by man protesting lockdowns

Former Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has been physically attacked during an official appearance in Tuscany by a man protesting against Italy’s lockdowns and other measures to contain the pandemic

Via AP news wire
Friday 05 May 2023 12:51 EDT
Italy Ex Premier Attacked
Italy Ex Premier Attacked (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Former Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has been physically attacked during an official appearance in Tuscany by a man protesting against Italy’s lockdowns and other measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Italian media reported Friday.

The man struck Conte in the face, and the assailant was immediately detained by law enforcement, the news agency LaPresse reported. Conte didn't appear to have been seriously harmed.

"Dissent is legitimate, but this violent demonstration falls outside the democratic context," Conte said in a statement.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed solidarity with Conte, whose party is in the opposition, and condemned “every form of violence.”

Conte was premier when Italy became the first country in the West to confirm COVID-19 cases in February 2020, putting the country under a strict lockdown in early March, and he oversaw the start of Italy's vaccination campaign.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in