23.10.2026 23:31
An incident during protests in Milan, Italy, brought a priest to the world’s attention. Father Giannicola Maria Simone, who opened the church doors to frightened tourists in the area where masked protesters were present, drew attention shortly afterward with his response to a protester who insulted him. The moments when the priest showed his middle finger were captured on camera, and the images quickly spread on the internet.
During the street demonstrations in Milan, Italy, which began as student protests and quickly turned into looting and violence, an interesting and unusual event occurred. The priest of the Church of Sant'Alessandro in Zebedia in the city center, Don Giannicola Maria Simone, opened the doors of his church to tourists fleeing the violence and passersby and took them under protection.
During the chaos in the streets, Priest Simone, standing in front of his church, did not hesitate to respond with the same hand gesture when one of the masked protesters showed him the middle finger and hurled insults at the church. These moments, which quickly spread and went viral on social media, resonated widely around the world.
"I DID NOT USE VIOLENCE, I AM NOT SORRY"
The 65-year-old priest Simone, stating that the images were not created with artificial intelligence and were completely real, emphasized in his statement to the Italian press that he was not afraid of anyone.
The priest said, "As the young people were passing by, one of them gave me the middle finger. They count as children; I was not surprised. I responded in the same way without any intention of violence or aim to incite anger. If I had punched someone, I would regret it, but I did not physically harm anyone, so there is no need for me to repent."
GOVERNMENT SENDS SOLDIERS INTO THE STREETS
After the events that turned Milan into a battlefield, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced harsh measures and declared that 500 soldiers would be deployed to the city by the end of the year. Meloni stated that no tolerance would be shown to protesters who hide behind the right to protest while burning and looting cities.