<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidPipdArwUt6xe" /><meta charset="utf-8" />The Italian authorities have identified&nbsp;a man from England as the possible suspect behind vandalism in the ancient Colosseum. Last&nbsp;week, a man wearing a blue flowery shirt was filmed by a fellow tourist carving his and his girlfriend's name into an internal wall of the 2,000-year-old monument.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Although the police have not named the suspect, the inscription by the suspect read “Ivan + Hayley 23”, which provides a solid clue as to what the name could be. Italian media reports claimed that Ivan lives in Bristol and the police will be sending a note to his address, informing him that he is under investigation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The police spent the last four days sifting through photos and surveillance footage at the Colosseum - one of the seven wonders of the world. If convicted, he faces a fine of at least €15,000 (£12,900) and a prison term of up to five years.</p>

<p>Commenting on the identification of the culprit, Italian culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, thanked the police.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“It was an act that offended those around the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history. Now I hope justice will take its course by rigorously applying the laws.”</p>

<p>Earlier,&nbsp;Sangiuliano had called defacing the Colosseum, a 'sign of great incivility'.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I consider it very serious, unworthy and a sign of great incivility that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world, a historical heritage (site) such as the Colosseum, to carve the name of his fiancée."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/ivanhaley-23-outrage-after-tourist-captured-carving-name-of-girlfriend-into-romes-colosseum-609017" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | Ivan+Haley 23: Outrage after tourist captured carving name of girlfriend into Rome’s Colosseum</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Video goes viral</strong></h2>

<p>The video titled "A**hole tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome" went viral on social media platforms and showed Ivan using keys to etch names into the historical amphitheatre.</p>

<p>“Are you serious, man? That is f**ked up, man. Stupid a**hole,” one person was heard questioning Ivan.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nato-chief-stoltenberg-to-stay-uk-defence-minister-danish-pm-quit-race-russia-ukraine-war-610345"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;NATO Chief Stoltenberg to stay, UK Defence Minister &amp; Danish PM quit race | Russia-Ukraine war</strong></a></p>

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<p>The netizens were furious at the man for desecrating the monument.&nbsp;When the video was shared on Reddit, several users started appealing for the man’s arrest.</p>

<p>“They got his face, so hopefully he’s arrested and charged,” one user stated. Meanwhile, another called out the girl who did not object to Ivan writing her name.</p>

<p>“The fact she stood there the whole time and went along with it means she’s just as much of the problem as he is. F – – k ‘em both,” wrote the original poster.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="it">Reputo gravissimo, indegno e segno di grande inciviltà, che un turista sfregi uno dei luoghi più celebri al mondo, il Colosseo, per incidere il nome della sua fidanzata. Spero che chi ha compiuto questo gesto venga individuato e sanzionato secondo le nostre leggi. <a href="https://t.co/p8Jss1GWuY">pic.twitter.com/p8Jss1GWuY</a></p>
— Gennaro Sangiuliano (@g_sangiuliano) <a href="https://twitter.com/g_sangiuliano/status/1673318742057525248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Notably, this is not the first time when the Colosseum has been defaced by tourists. In 2020, a 32-year-old man from Ireland was caught using a metal point to carve his initials into a pillar of the monument. A month later, a teenager was caught doing the same.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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The Italian authorities have identified a man from England as the possible suspect behind vandalism in the ancient Colosseum. Last week, a man wearing a blue flowery shirt was filmed by a fellow tourist carving his and his girlfriend's name into an internal wall of the 2,000-year-old monument.

The Italian authorities have identified a man from England as the possible suspect behind vandalism in the ancient Colosseum. Last week, a man wearing a blue flowery shirt was filmed by a fellow tourist carving his and his girlfriend's name into an internal wall of the 2,000-year-old monument. Although the police have not named the suspect, the inscription by the suspect read “Ivan + Hayley 23”, which provides a solid clue as to what the name could be. Italian media reports claimed that Ivan lives in Bristol and the police will be sending a note to his address, informing him that he is under investigation. The police spent the last four days sifting through photos and surveillance footage at the Colosseum - one of the seven wonders of the world. If convicted, he faces a fine of at least €15,000 (£12,900) and a prison term of up to five years. Commenting on the identification of the culprit, Italian culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, thanked the police. “It was an act that offended those around the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history. Now I hope justice will take its course by rigorously applying the laws.” Earlier, Sangiuliano had called defacing the Colosseum, a 'sign of great incivility'. “I consider it very serious, unworthy and a sign of great incivility that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world, a historical heritage (site) such as the Colosseum, to carve the name of his fiancée." Also read | Ivan+Haley 23: Outrage after tourist captured carving name of girlfriend into Rome’s Colosseum Video goes viral The video titled "A**hole tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome" went viral on social media platforms and showed Ivan using keys to etch names into the historical amphitheatre. “Are you serious, man? That is f**ked up, man. Stupid a**hole,” one person was heard questioning Ivan. WATCH | NATO Chief Stoltenberg to stay, UK Defence Minister & Danish PM quit race | Russia-Ukraine war × The netizens were furious at the man for desecrating the monument. When the video was shared on Reddit, several users started appealing for the man’s arrest. “They got his face, so hopefully he’s arrested and charged,” one user stated. Meanwhile, another called out the girl who did not object to Ivan writing her name. “The fact she stood there the whole time and went along with it means she’s just as much of the problem as he is. F – – k ‘em both,” wrote the original poster. Reputo gravissimo, indegno e segno di grande inciviltà, che un turista sfregi uno dei luoghi più celebri al mondo, il Colosseo, per incidere il nome della sua fidanzata. Spero che chi ha compiuto questo gesto venga individuato e sanzionato secondo le nostre leggi. pic.twitter.com/p8Jss1GWuY — Gennaro Sangiuliano (@g_sangiuliano) June 26, 2023 × Notably, this is not the first time when the Colosseum has been defaced by tourists. In 2020, a 32-year-old man from Ireland was caught using a metal point to carve his initials into a pillar of the monument. A month later, a teenager was caught doing the same. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

It's a Brit: Colosseum vandaliser identified by Italian police, could face 5 years in jail

<p>Several hundred Muslims staged a protest prayer outside the Colosseum in Rome on Friday over what they see as unfair restrictions on their freedom to practise their faith in Italy.</p>

<p>Organisers said they had called the demonstration following the recent closure on administrative grounds of five makeshift mosques.</p>

<p>Many Italian Muslims suspect local authorities are responding to a climate of mistrust caused by recent Islamist attacks in Europe by closing down the places of worship on the grounds of easily resolved problems such as the number of toilets on a particular premises.</p>

<p>&quot;We feel people are pointing the finger at us,&quot; said Francesco Tieri, a convert to Islam who acts as a coordinator for a number of Islamic groups.</p>

<p>&quot;There is no political will to recognise that we are here and that we are a peaceful community.</p>

<p>&quot;We are forced to rent places to pray -- which for us is like breathing air, if we can&#39;t do it we die.&quot;</p>

<p>According to official figures there are just over 800,000 Muslims living in Italy legally and officials estimate that a further 100,000 live in the country permanently without official papers.</p>

<p>That would suggest the community makes up more than 1.5 percent of the population and that Islam is the second most followed faith in the mostly Roman Catholic country.</p>

<p>Islam, however, is not recognised as an official religion, unlike Judaism or the Mormon faith, and many Muslims from north Africa and South Asia feel discriminated against on the grounds of both race and religion.</p>

<p>Rome is home to the biggest mosque in the Western world but proposals to construct traditional-style mosques elsewhere have frequently run into opposition from local councils who can withhold planning permission on any number of technical grounds ranging from the size of proposed parking facilities to the architectural harmony of a particular neighbourhood.</p>

<p>Right wing parties have called for a blanket ban on any mosques built with funds from donors outside of Italy.</p>

<p>Lawmaker Barbara Saltamartini of the anti-immigration Northern League called Friday&#39;s demonstration &quot;an unacceptable provocation&quot; which should never have been allowed to take place in Rome.</p>

<p>(AFP)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Muslims in Italy protested over freedom to worship following the recent closure of five makeshift mosques in Rome

Several hundred Muslims staged a protest prayer outside the Colosseum in Rome on Friday over what they see as unfair restrictions on their freedom to practise their faith in Italy. Organisers said they had called the demonstration following the recent closure on administrative grounds of five makeshift mosques. Many Italian Muslims suspect local authorities are responding to a climate of mistrust caused by recent Islamist attacks in Europe by closing down the places of worship on the grounds of easily resolved problems such as the number of toilets on a particular premises. "We feel people are pointing the finger at us," said Francesco Tieri, a convert to Islam who acts as a coordinator for a number of Islamic groups. "There is no political will to recognise that we are here and that we are a peaceful community. "We are forced to rent places to pray -- which for us is like breathing air, if we can't do it we die." According to official figures there are just over 800,000 Muslims living in Italy legally and officials estimate that a further 100,000 live in the country permanently without official papers. That would suggest the community makes up more than 1.5 percent of the population and that Islam is the second most followed faith in the mostly Roman Catholic country. Islam, however, is not recognised as an official religion, unlike Judaism or the Mormon faith, and many Muslims from north Africa and South Asia feel discriminated against on the grounds of both race and religion. Rome is home to the biggest mosque in the Western world but proposals to construct traditional-style mosques elsewhere have frequently run into opposition from local councils who can withhold planning permission on any number of technical grounds ranging from the size of proposed parking facilities to the architectural harmony of a particular neighbourhood. Right wing parties have called for a blanket ban on any mosques built with funds from donors outside of Italy. Lawmaker Barbara Saltamartini of the anti-immigration Northern League called Friday's demonstration "an unacceptable provocation" which should never have been allowed to take place in Rome. (AFP)

Muslims pray at Colosseum to mark protest against Rome mosque closures

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It's a Brit: Colosseum vandaliser identified by Italian police, could face 5 years in jail

Muslims pray at Colosseum to mark protest against Rome mosque closures