According to pitchfork.com, back in August of 2023, Placebo’s Brian Molko was sued by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni for allegedly calling her a “piece of shit, fascist, racist” during that summer’s Sonic Park festival. And now,  prosecutors in Turin have opened an investigation into the alleged claims and Molko is  being charged with alleged defamation for “contempt of the institutions,” according to  Italian newspaper La Stampa.

According to nme.com, some people have posted videos of the incident, which showed the frontman allegedly describing Meloni in Italian as “a piece of shit fascist, racist” and then allegedly saying “fuck you” during the band’s set in front of 10,000 fans at Sonic Park Festival in Turin in July of 2023.

Now, defaming the Italian government, parliament, courts, or army does carry a fine of up to €5,000 ($5,240 USD) and is a subject to direct summons to trial. Meloni is the leader of the Brothers of Italy party, which has neo-fascist roots, and is at the head of Italy’s most rightwing government since Benito Mussolini during the Second World War. She won the 2022 election while running on anti-immigration policies, as well as plans to limit LGBTQ rights.

Under Meloni’s leadership, Italy’s government has ordered municipalities to stop registering same-sex parents, vilified migrants, asylum seekers and appointed Brothers of Italy loyalists to top positions in the public broadcaster, according to several New York Times articles.

Photo Credit: Marv Watson