Italian priest gives middle finger to rioters outside Milan church

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 06:57 · Archive

A 65-year-old Italian priest gave a middle finger gesture to masked protesters outside his church in Milan during riots.

Father Giannicola Maria Simone, 65, of the Church of Sant'Alessandro di Zebedia in Milan went viral after giving a middle finger gesture to a masked protester outside his church during riots on 17 October. The incident occurred as violence erupted across Italy inspired by riots seen in France. The priest said he allowed many people seeking protection—tourists and passersby rather than worshippers—to shelter inside the ancient church until the chaos passed.

Footage showed a masked and hooded young man swearing at the priest before Simone calmly returned the gesture. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, the priest said he did not regret the action. When asked if he repented, he said: 'No, I don't think we should talk about repentance. If I had thrown a punch, yes, but I've never raised my hand to anyone, not even in the most difficult moments.' He added that the protester 'gave me the middle finger' first, and that the young people were 'kids, so I'm not surprised' by their behaviour.

Simone said he had attempted to speak with the protesters to understand their motivations but received only vague responses. He described the rioters as 'clueless about why they were there'.

How it is being reported

• Italian priest gives middle finger to mob of masked rioters who chased scared tourists into churchAn Italian priest gave a group of far-left rioters the middle finger in sign of resistance against the agitators who took over the streets of Milan under the guise of student protests, pillaging the city with violence and looting.New York Post · 23 Oct, 06:36
• The priest who spoke for us all: Cleric goes viral after giving protesters the finger while protecting worshippers from far-left mob at his churchAn Italian priest has gone viral after flipping off protesters while protecting his congregation from a far-left mob.Daily Mail · 22 Oct, 11:53

In this story: Father Giannicola Maria Simone · Church of Sant'Alessandro di Zebedia · Milan · Italy

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