The center-left Democratic Party
MP Davide Mattiello lashed out on Wednesday at the way in which
the right-wing, anti-immigrant Northern League party chief
Matteo Salvini speaks about the country's police.
"Salvini talks about the men and women from the forces of
order as if they were pitbulls to unleash onto the streets. His
is an offensive, dangerous" way of refering to them, said
Mattiello, member of the Justice and Anti-Mafia Committees.
"This is offensive, since those that I know - policemen,
Carabinieri, financial police and forest rangers - are serious
professionals that try to do their job in a balanced manner.
"I believe that this does a great deal of harm," he added,
as does "being in contact with certain parts of the political
world that claim to have the forces of order at heart and work
hand-in-hand with organized crime to make money, as suggested by
the 'Breakfast' investigation on relations between the
'Ndrangheta and the former treasurer of the Northern League
Francesco Belsito.
"As does the fact that certain people wanted by the police
continue to be so for a long time because they are protected 'by
high places' and that certain careers of officials who are
unable to be bought are rerouted or cut short in various ways if
they 'step on the wrong feet'."
He went on to say that "I believe that these men and women
want the state to create suitable conditions for them to do as
they they can what they must do."
Salvini was unrepentant Wednesday about donning a police
uniform to call for them to be given a free hand in "ethnically
cleansing" Italy from migrants, saying "I'll put it on again,
who cares?"
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