"This was incredible," Ricci wrote, "I was not even at home, my family and children were incredulous and frightened. You are squadristi, shame on you. You don't even know what freedom is. Getting vaccinated is a civic and moral duty, as President Mattarella has said."

 Numerous politicians from Ricci's party, the centre-left Democratic Party, expressed solidarity with him as did even Claudio Borghi, a politician for the right-wing League Party who took part in a torchlight march in Rome against the introduction of restrictions requiring a Green Pass proof of vaccination.

 "Threats and staking out anybody's home are unacceptable," Borghi said.

 The mob demonstration in Pesaro recalled a similar ugly protest outside the home of the mayor of Bergamo, Giorgio Gori, last November.

 jp