'I have no words': Italian lawmakers throw punches at parliamentary meeting, sending one to the hospital

Italian lawmakers began throwing punches at each other during a parliamentary meeting on Thursday, resulting in one being taken to the hospital. The fistfight erupted over a proposal that some argued would further divide the country's north and south, per the Associated Press. The brawl was captured on video and uploaded to social media.

The video shows those present at the meeting surrounding 5-Star Movement lawmaker Leonardo Donno, who is against the proposal, after he tried shoving an Italian flag in the arms of regional affairs minister Roberto Calderoli of the Lega party who drafted it. Other lawmakers then began shoving and punching amid the chaos of the crowd. Donno was reportedly taken to the hospital for evaluation after being hit in the chest and head.

“I have no words," said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani when he was interviewed about the scuffle on Sky TG24. “We need to set another example, not punches to resolve political problems. It’s not braggadocio, it’s not shouting, it’s ideas that need to be explained well to persuade voters.”

The proposal would expand regional autonomy that would mostly benefit northern areas of the country, where Calderoli hails from, causing a further divide with the historically impoverished and poor south.