Italian boy filmed standing up to fascists hailed a hero by the internet

A 15-year-old Italian boy is being hailed as the "new hero of the left", after footage of him standing up to fascists at a protest in Rome went viral.

In the video, the boy, named only as Simone, can be seen speaking out in defence of minority groups during a demonstration organised by far-right activists in the Torre Maura district on Tuesday.

The far-right groups, which call themselves Casa Pound and Forza Nuova, were opposing the temporary rehousing of 70 Roma people at a government reception centre in the area.

The 15-year-old appears to interrupt one of the leaders of Casa Pound, who was telling journalists that residents of the eastern suburb of the capital do not want Roma people living there.

Speaking calmly, Simone responds:

What you are doing here in Torre Maura is exploiting the anger of the people.

You turn this anger into votes, for your interests.

As a crowd watches on, the 15-year-old continues:

The protests served to let the institutions know that in Torre Maura there is a situation of degradation. The 70 Roma have become the pretext to protest.

I don’t like that you always pick on minorities.​

When you talk about European funds to invest in the neighbourhood, I think those funds must be spent on everyone.

No one should be left behind. Neither Italians, nor the Roma, nor the Africans, nor any other human being.

His wise words did not go unnoticed, as many people took to Twitter to applaud the young Italian, expressing their hopes for the younger generation.

Not all heroes wear capes.

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