A number of mostly Muslim migrants hosted in a hotel in the northern Italian town of Chioggia ripped down the Italian flag in protest of an Easter meal of pasta in place of their usual chicken and french fries.

The owners of the Al Bragosso di Sant’Anna Hotel usually give the 45 migrants a dinner consisting of chicken and French fries on Sundays, but on Easter they decided to serve the pasta instead to properly celebrate the holiday.

The menu change triggered the anger of the migrants, who then staged a protest. “No pasta, it’s a disgrace. We want our chicken and french fries,” they reportedly shouted.

Some of the migrants then grabbed hold of the Italian flag hanging in one of the common rooms and ripped it down in protest.

The police were called in and sent three patrol cars to restore the calm, finally convincing the migrants to eat their pasta. The whole affair lasted two hours, from 8:00 to 10:00pm.

According to reports, the migrants’ anger may have been ignited by the commemoration of Easter as a holiday more than just the corresponding change of menu, since almost all of them are Muslims.

A number of Italians have since complained online that the migrants are housed and fed on the taxpayers’ dime, and have no right to criticize the food they are served.

A similar disruption occurred this week at the refugee camp in another Italian city, Marco di Rovereto, which houses 322 asylum-seekers. A number of the migrants, allegedly instigated by a group of Pakistanis, complained about the daily menu served them and began to protest to such a degree that law enforcement had to be called in.

A subsequent investigation found the menu at the center to be both varied and nutritious, with options like turkey curry stew, baked chicken, breaded fish sticks, chicken cutlets and pizza, as well as first courses like mushroom risotto, pasta with tomato sauce, and vegetables. In addition, every day at both lunch and dinner, yogurt and fresh fruit are served.

Follow Thomas D. Williams on Twitter Follow @tdwilliamsrome

