Jewish tourist couple attacked in Venice by 'ten migrants' who unleashed rottweiler while chanting 'Free Palestine'
The pair, an American and an Israeli, were walking down the Strada Nuova, one of the city's main shopping streets near the Rialto Bridge, in Orthodox clothing when they were approached by a group of North African men.
A Jewish tourist couple was beaten up by ten migrants who chanted 'Free Palestine' and set a rottweiler on them during an anti-semitic attack in Venice.
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The pair, an American and an Israeli, were walking down the Strada Nuova, one of the city's main shopping streets near the Rialto Bridge, in Orthodox clothing when they were approached by a group of North African men.
They tried to run away, but were chased and surrounded by the gang, who then started their vicious assault.
One of the group slapped the man, before another set his unmuzzled rottweiler on the tourists.
The woman also injured her ankle after a glass bottle was thrown and shattered.
Heavily armed police officers from the Guardia di Finanza, Italy's financial crime unit, eventually arrived at the scene and stopped the attack.
They arrested three men, including a 31-year-old Tunisian who was responsible for slapping the tourist.
He was charged with assault and banned from entering the city of Venice for two years.
Two others were transferred to a detention centre for deportation after they were found to be living in Italy illegally.
The shocking attack was labelled a 'cowardly and despicable act' by the Jewish Community of Venice, which added that it called into question Venice's tradition as a welcoming city.
Luigi Brugnaro, mayor of the city, said: "Venice is and must continue to be an open, welcoming and safe city, where mutual respect is the foundation of civil coexistence.
"The attack is a serious and unacceptable act, which I condemn in the strongest terms.
"We firmly say "no" to any resurgence of antisemitism, as well as to Islamophobia. Venice will never tolerate any form of hatred of discrimination."
Venice is widely considered the oldest Jewish ghetto in Europe and currently has a Jewish population of around 450.