A chaotic brawl between lawmakers was captured on video inside the Italian Parliament on Wednesday just a day prior to the annual Group of Seven summit in Puglia, Italy.
Video footage posted to Twitter circulated Thursday, showing the moment one member steps to the front of the group attempting to unfold an Italian flag before a handful of others confront him. The confrontation then escalates into a brawl as the group of men appear to be grabbing and attempting to hit each other. (RELATED: Establishment Leaders Dig Heels In Against Overwhelming Right-Wing Victories)
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The incident took place over a vote on a new bill that would reportedly give Italy’s regions greater autonomy.
Leonardo Donno, who opposed the bill, waved an… pic.twitter.com/ytOwie8BAt
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“I have no words,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Italy’s Sky TG24 news channel. “We need to set another example, not punches to resolve political problems.”
Reports claim the hectic scene between lawmakers began over a clash over a bill seeking to grant certain regions more autonomy, according to The Washington Post. During the meeting, opposition party member Leonardo Donno reportedly attempted to give the Italian flag to Minister Roberto Calderoli, later telling Italian news agency Adnkronos that he “got close” to Calderoli to hand off the flag and “nothing else.”
“Then, chaos ensued,” Donno told the outlet. “I didn’t just get kicked several times, I also received a very strong blow to my sternum, and I collapsed because I could no longer breathe.”
Opponents of the bill at the center of the chaos claim the extended autonomy would further inflame the divide between Italy’s north and south and bring more hardship to the southern areas which are already impoverished, according to The Washington Post.
The G-7 Summit in Italy began Thursday and will run through Saturday as world leaders from the European Union and other industrialized nations are welcomed to the country in order to discuss current global issues, the outlet reported.
