Georgia Meloni sues British band frontman for calling her a fascist

Brian Molko also called the Italian Prime Minister a racist in front of 5,000 fans. Photo: Daniele Baldi/Alamy Stock Photo

Giorgia Meloni is suing the frontman of British rock band Placebo after he called her a «fascist» during a concert near Turin last month.

By According to Italian media reports, the Italian Prime Minister intends to sue Brian Molko. Wednesday.

The band was playing at the Sonic Park festival in Stupinigi near Turin on July 11 when Molko made a remark about the prime minister who leads Italy's far-right brothers' party.

Standing on stage in front of about 5,000 fans and speaking Italian , called her racist, fascist and a «piece of shit.»

The leader of an alternative rock band that formed in London in the early 1990s called for more rights for transgender and non-binary people.

Police investigated incident

The flash was filmed by some fans on mobile phones, despite Placebo asking the public to turn off their phones during concerts and enjoy the moment.

Italian police, who are securing the event, have contacted prosecutors. , who launched an investigation on 17 July.

This culminated in the Prime Minister's decision to sue Molko for libel and «contempt for Italian institutions.»

Under the Italian Penal Code, anyone who «publicly slanders the Republic», which includes the government, parliament, courts and military, can be fined between 1,000 and 5,000 euros (£858 to £4,290).

46-year-old Meloni has led Italy's most right-wing government since World War II. Her party is rooted in the post-war fascist movement that emerged from the ashes of the fall of Benito Mussolini.

However, she vehemently denies any lingering sympathy for Italy's fascist past. On the world stage, she came across as a conservative, committed to Italy's strong support for Ukraine and taking a firmly Atlantic approach in international affairs.

At home, many of her policies have proved controversial. , from the abolition of the «city wage» income support scheme for Italy's poorest families, to the passage of a law banning Italian couples from traveling abroad to have a baby through surrogacy.