Venice Mayor: Shoot anyone who shouts "Allahu Akbar" at St Mark's Square

The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has instructed the police to shoot anyone who yells "Allahu Akbar" at St. Mark's square.

The right winger said, "If anyone runs into St Mark's Square shouting 'Allahu Akbar', we will take him down."

To emphasise his point, Mr Brugnaro had even issued the same warning in Venetian dialect – "Ghe sparemo" – "We'll shoot them".

During a summer think tank meeting, the mayor announced that Venice was safer than Barcelona. As many as 13 people were killed in Barcelona when a van rammed into pedestrians.

"Anyone who shouts Allahu Akbar in St Mark's Square can expect to be gunned down by snipers within four paces", he said, according to the Fox News report. He said he will send the terrorists straight to Allah by just shooting them.

Brugnaro's speech

The Mayor of Venice, during the debate, recalled an incident from March. Mr Brugnaro had then thanked the police for "breaking up a dangerous and active jihadist cell in the centre of the city."  

The cops reportedly arrested four Islamic State militants living in Italy.

The jihadists had allegedly planned to blow up the Rialto Bridge in Venice- a tourist hotspot.

A tapped telephonic conversation revealed a suspect telling another: "You'll go straight to paradise because of all the infidels in Venice. Put a bomb on the Rialto."

Florence Mayor apologises

The Florence mayor apologised to Venetian mayor after yelling "Allahu Akbar" as a joke after a debate on radicalisation and terrorism. But the 'joke' made news

Both the mayors were present at a conference in Ramini, when the incident took place.

Mr Nardella wrote an apology letter on Facebook that he was sorry for the "certain remarks".

"It was not my intention to offend anybody, least of all the Muslim community. I did not intend to joke about their religion, nor evoke the tragic events of recent days," he said, the Telegraph reported.