00:00We bring you astonishing scenes from the Italian parliament, where chaos erupted as lawmakers
00:10engaged in a physical altercation, all while the country prepares to host world leaders
00:16for the G7 summit.
00:18This unprecedented brawl broke out over the controversial plans of Italy's far-right
00:23government to grant more autonomy to regions.
00:27The incident began when five-star movement deputy Leonardo Dono approached regional affairs
00:33minister Roberto Calderoli of the pro-autonomy Northern League, attempting to tie an Italian
00:39flag around his neck.
00:41What followed was a rapid escalation into a full-blown scuffle involving 20 deputies.
00:47Within seconds, Calderoli's fellow League deputies surrounded Dono and the situation
00:52turned violent.
00:54Dono was injured in the scuffle and had to be taken away in a wheelchair before being
01:00admitted to a hospital.
01:02The entire incident was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media, drawing
01:08widespread reactions from political leaders and the public alike.
01:13As the footage circulated online, lawmakers from the League and the Brothers of Italy
01:18accused Dono of faking his injuries and provoking the incident.
01:23Meanwhile, the five-star movement denounced the altercation as a serious and shameful
01:29act, calling for immediate measures.
01:33Five-star movement leader Giuseppe Conte took to social media platform, ex-formerly known
01:38as Twitter, to express his outrage.
01:41He wrote,
01:42Violence comes from the benches of the Melanie majority.
01:46Shame!
01:47In an interview with Sky TG24, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned the incident, stating
01:53that lawmakers should uphold higher standards and that political problems cannot be solved
01:59through violence.
02:00This chamber is not a boxing ring.
02:03It's not fisticuffs that solve political problems, Tajani emphasized, calling for more civilized
02:09discourse.
02:10We have to set a completely different example, Tajani added.
02:15I have no words.
02:16We should set a better example, not resort to punches to solve political problems.
02:22His sentiments were displaced by many, who watched the disturbing footage.
02:27Later, speaking to the Italian news agency, at Knokos, Leonardo Dono recounted the events
02:33from his perspective.
02:35He stated that he simply got close to Calderoli to hand him the flag and nothing more.
02:41Dono described the chaos that ensued, saying,
02:44I was kicked several times and received a strong blow to my chest, causing me to collapse
02:51because I couldn't breathe.
02:53Dono's injuries and the violent nature of the altercation have sparked a broader discussion
02:58on the state of political discourse in Italy, especially at such a critical time when Italy
03:04prepares for the G7 summit.
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