A lot of pointy spires on Il Duomo. No wonder it drew blood.
Posted on 12/13/2009 5:22:41 PM PST by Steelfish
December 14, 2009 Berlusconi Hit In The Face With A Model Of Milan's Cathedral
[Pic in URL] Silvio Berlusconi is taken to hospital after being hit in the face with a model of Milan's cathedral IMAGE :1 of 5
Josephine McKenna and Richard Owen in Rome
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was struck in the face yesterday by a man holding a small replica of Milan's cathedral, leaving him with two broken teeth and forcing him to spend the night in hospital.
Witnesses said Mr Berlusconi was attacked after a political rally in the centre of Milan, as he was signing autographs in the square in front of the cathedral, the Duomo. He had just finished giving a speech to rally support for his ruling coalition amid continuing speculation about his future and an increasingly divided government.
He slumped to the ground after he was struck and his security guards immediately took him to San Raffaele hospital for treatment.
The man accused of attacking Mr Berlusconi, 73, was immediately arrested, as the crowd yelled abuse at him. The suspect, Massimo Tartaglia, 42, did not appear to have any political affiliations. Police said he had no criminal record and was not among the small group of protesters at the rally, but they said that he has been treated for mental health issues at Milan’s Policlinico Hospital for the past ten years.
Italy’s ANSA news agency said that the alleged attacker had received ten years of treatment for mental problems. Police said he was wielding a miniature statue of the Duomo cathedral, the city’s symbol.
Mr Berlusconi, blood streaming down his face, appeared stunned as he was taken away to hospital in a car. Hospital sources later said that Mr Berlusconi’s condition was not serious.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
The suspect, Massimo Tartaglia, 42, did not appear to have any political affiliations. ... but they said that he has been treated for mental health issues at Milan’s Policlinico Hospital for the past ten years.
Obviously a democrat.
Isn’t this the man of many-mistresses? And giving autographs (or maybe his phone number) in front of a church!?
Mama mia! That’s stupido!
But getting hit WITH the church is very poetic in a way...
SZQczar
Muslim?
A lot of pointy spires on Il Duomo. No wonder it drew blood.
You just don’t expect to see this kind of thing (being able to) happen in this day and age of super high security for all leaders.
If you can hit them in the mouth with a model church surely he could have done anything he wanted to.
Surprising to me.
No, probably just nuts. When I first heard this, I thought he was one of the leftists who were protesting, but it sounds as if he was basically a crazy who had probably just hit Berlusconi with the first thing he could lay his hands on, a tourist model of the Duomo.
Thomas:
We should ban all Models Of Milan’s Cathedral.
Thomas:
If we ban Models Of Milan’s Cathedral then only criminal will have Models Of Milan’s Cathedral.
Thomas:
But then we would know who all the criminals were.
Thomas:
Not all criminals would carry a concealed Model Of Milan’s Cathedral do you know how many cathedrals are out there?
Thomas:
Oh. Maybe we should ban big pockets instead
Thomas:
When your right your right.
Super pic- Thanks
Security prolly thought he was a tourist bearing a souvenir and maybe wanting Berlusconi’s autograph on it.
Remember the shoe Bush ducked?
Yeah! Did it ever go up for sale on eBay? This model cathedral might fetch a nice sum (if the guy’s demonstrably looned out the Italian state probably won’t want it for criminal evidence).
Interior Milan Cathedral on an Easter Sunday: http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w118/Bell_Italia/100_0388.jpg?t=1260755382
Perp should now have lead poisioning issues.
BTW, I never thought the time would come when I would actually think it comforting that “just a nut” could go up and do this. Remember certain other nuts...such as John Hinckly Jr, who tried to kill Reagan to impress a movie actress? But now nuts make it seem almost like the good old days before the revival of Islamic terrorism.
That said, where WAS Berlusconi's Security?
BTW, I just read that a model of the cathedral in Paris was thrown at Sarkozy this weekend (didn’t hit him, though). I wonder if this was actually more significant than “just a nut.”
hmmm. . .does sound like more than a coincidence; thought could be following an example, perhaps. OTOH; probably best not to mention this too often; or this will become an MO for protest. Ducking shoes a challenge; but these things can feel like a missile coming at you, no doubt. Aim has to be 'good' of course/sigh.
He’s being described as mentally unstable, but apparently, according to the European press, he said he did it because he disagrees with the policies of Berlusconi. He also had a can of Mace, a sharpened piece of Plexiglass, a large heavy crucifix, and a large lighter in his bag.
So he clearly planned to do serious damage, and I would imagine the religious things were considered by him to be a fitting symbol of the reasons for which he objects to Berlusconi (whose personal life, as I say, may not be great, but who basically supports Catholic positions and is hated by gays and leftists for it).
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