Angela Giuffrida is the Guardian’s Rome correspondent
Two journalists from the Italian state broadcaster, Rai, were threatened by ICE agents in Minneapolis while filming for a report on the rising tensions in the US under Donald Trump’s administration, sparking a political backlash in Italy.
In a video posted on the Instagram account of the news show, In Mezz’Ora, journalists Laura Cappon and Daniele Babbo are in a car with anti-ICE activists who are following a jeep with agents on board as they search the city for people to detain.
Upon realising their vehicle is being followed, the ICE agents stop the jeep and approach the car with the two journalists inside. Despite identifying themselves as being from the press, the ICE agents threaten to break the car window and drag the passengers out if they continue keep following and recording.
The woman driving the car refuses to pull down the window while repeatedly saying “we’re not doing anything wrong”. Others can be seen filming the encounter on the street before the agents get into their vehicle and drive away.
Politicians from Italian opposition parties have urged the government of Italy’s far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who is ideologically aligned with Trump, to protect its citizens and condemn the intimidation.
“Two Italian journalists have also been threatened by Trump’s political police,” said Peppe Provenzano, a politician with the centre-left Democratic party. “Our deepest sympathy and solidarity goes out to them. If the Meloni government has any national pride, we ask it to formally protest and distance itself once and for all. We also ask it to clarify how it intends to protect our fellow citizens who live and work in places where ICE is operating from this climate of intimidation and violence.”
He added: “Seeing America reduced to this state by Trump’s thugs, sowing chaos, terror and death in the streets, while being covered up by the Trump administration, is truly dismaying.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jan/26/minnesota-minneapolis-ice-protests-alex-pretti-donald-trump-us-politics-live-news-updates
https://democraticunderground.com/100220970508
Video link - Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/DT78irPDDyy/
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