Overview

• At an August 4 ceremony, Mayor Vito Leccese handed Bari’s keys to Francesca Albanese, who called the gesture a sign of solidarity with Palestinians she said are facing genocide.
• Outside the Palazzo di Città, pro-Palestinian activists and centre-right supporters staged competing demonstrations, with some opposition members carrying “Non in mio nome” signs.
• Centre-right figures including Senator Maurizio Gasparri denounced the award as ideological and promised parliamentary inquiries into Albanese’s ties and statements.
• Regional Governor Michele Emiliano endorsed nonviolent measures by proposing a boycott of products made in Israel to bolster pressure for Palestinian rights.
• Albanese’s social media post before a Liliana Segre mural has stoked online debate over the use of genocide terminology and sensitivities around Holocaust memory.