Overview

• Comune di Roma ordered the immediate removal of two Lega election posters under article 12-bis of its advertising regulation, which forbids ethnic stereotypes and discriminatory messages.
• The AI-generated posters showed a Rom individual as a subway thief and a group of mixed-ethnicity squatters to illustrate tougher security and housing measures.
• Lega leaders condemned the move as a “bavaglio comunista” and announced parliamentary inquiries and legal claims against the city for alleged censorship.
• Civil rights associations, including Amnesty Italia, criticized the posters for fueling racism and warned that political messaging must not legitimize prejudice.
• The city said the party can appeal or revise its campaign materials to comply with regulations as local police oversee the enforcement of the removal order.