Italy’s Universities in Meltdown: Professor Beaten, Another Lecturer Suspended
Pisa turned violent when protesters stormed a lecture hall and targeted Professor Rino Casella, accusing him of being a “Zionist.” According to reports, the demonstrators ripped away his microphone, hurled his book, and physically attacked him in front of stunned students. Casella was rushed to the hospital, where he was treated for a head wound and multiple bruises.
On the same day in Turin, visiting Israeli lecturer Pini Zorea faced a different kind of firestorm. During his class, activists heckled him with chants against Israel and accusations of apartheid. When Zorea defended his past in the IDF, calling it “the purest army in the world,” the backlash was instant. The university rector stepped in and announced his suspension on the spot.
Both incidents are drawing major attention in Italy: one highlighting escalating violence on campus, the other exposing deep divides over Israel’s role in academia. Italian media say police are investigating the Pisa attack, while Turin’s administration faces pressure over whether it protected free speech — or caved to protest.
Universities are supposed to be safe spaces for ideas, but in Italy this week, they turned into battlegrounds.