Italy bans 16 Roma fans from stadiums over fascist salute
ROME: Sixteen AS Roma fans have been banned from stadiums across Italy after performing the stiff-armed fascist salute during a Serie A home game against Atalanta, Rome police said in a statement on Wednesday.
Sixteen AS Roma fans have been banned from attending stadiums throughout Italy after participating in an offensive fascist salute during a Serie A match against Atalanta, Rome police announced on Wednesday. The bans, which range from one to five years, extend to AS Roma games held abroad and matches involving the national team, according to police.
Four of the offenders will also be required to report to police during AS Roma matches. The salute was performed by fans in the Curva sud section, which attracts a dedicated following, during a September 5 game that AS Roma won 2-1 with last-minute goals from Mario Hermoso and Matias Soule. Far-right displays are not unheard of in Italian soccer, where ultras, groups of hardline fans, are known to engage in such behavior.
Prosecutors have also connected some ultras to organized crime and far-right extremist groups. While the fascist salute is not outright banned in all situations in Italy, courts evaluate the gesture individually and can charge it under laws prohibiting the resurrection of the fascist party and inciting racial hatred.
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