Italian prosecutors open an investigation after Placebo frontman calls Meloni a fascist, reports say

Prosecutors in Turin have reportedly opened an investigation after the lead singer of British band Placebo insulted Premier Giorgia Meloni during a July 11 concert, calling her a fascist and racist. The LaPresse and ANSA news agencies said the investigation into alleged ‘vilification’ stemmed from a report by carabinieri police about the comments by Brian Molko during a performance at the Sonic Park Festival in Stupinigi, near Turin. LaPresse reported that as of Monday, Molko hadn’t been placed under investigation. According to a cellphone video circulating on social media, Moko said in Italian: ‘Giorgia Meloni: piece of (expletive); fascist, racist (expletive).’ Emails and calls to Turin prosecutors seeking confirmation weren’t immediately returned. Facebook and Instagram messages left on Placebo’s official accounts went unanswered Wednesday. Members of Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party, which has its roots in Italy’s neo-fascist movement, denounced the insults and demanded an apology. ‘We cannot let an international event that attracts so many people (to Italy) be ruined by filthy words which, amidst a general silence, aim to attack the institutions of the republic,’ LaPresse quoted Brothers of Italy lawmaker Augusta Montaruli as saying.