Racist graffiti defaces mural of Black Italian volleyball star in Rome

Italian volleyball player Paola Egonu, who is of Nigerian descent, has been the subject of racial abuse on social media, which led her to step down from the national team. A mural depicting her was unveiled in Rome, but was defaced within a day, with her skin being spray-painted pink. The mural was created by street artist Laika, who intended it as a statement about Italian identity, writing "Italianità" (Italianness) under the image. This act was in response to a passage in a bestselling book that questioned whether a black person could be Italian. Egonu had previously lost a defamation lawsuit against a European Parliament member who had made racist comments about her.