1971

January 12, Reggio Calabria
Antonio Bellotti, 19 years old, Public Security agent

He died on January 16th in Messina hospital, as a result of the skull injury sustained on the evening of the 12th while he was on board a train that had just left the Reggio Calabria Central Station.
Guard Bellotti, together with his department, had been involved in public order in Reggio Calabria for about 3 months, which at that time was shaken by heated protests and violent street clashes following the move of the Calabrian capital to Catanzaro.
On the evening of January 12th, together with about a hundred colleagues, he took his place on board train 880 which departed at 8pm from Reggio Calabria station and headed north. Shortly after departure, a group of demonstrators began throwing stones at the convoy. The guard Antonio Bellotti was hit in the face by a stone and fell to the floor of the carriage, losing consciousness. Transported to hospital, first to Villa San Giovanni and then to Messina, his condition immediately appeared serious. The doctors noted the fracture of the skull base and the comatose state of the injured man and desperately tried to save officer Bellotti who, however, died on the evening of the 16th without having regained consciousness. Eight people were arrested in the following days, accused of having participated in throwing stones at the convoy of Padua officers.