A northern Italian town conferred honorary citizenship on Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday, although demonstrators made their feelings against him known.
The right-wing Brazilian leader skipped climate talks in Glasgow to receive the accolade in the northeastern town of Anguillara Veneta, following his showing at the G20 summit in Rome.
The city council decided to honour Bolsonaro with mayor Alessandra Buoso, a member of the far-right League party, indicating the town wished to "reward the welcome that migrants from Anguillara Veneta have received in Brazil".
But the move caused a stir in Italy and about 200 people protested against honouring a leader who has faced international criticism for his policies on the environment in the wake of massive deforestation in Brazil.
Protesters carried banners reading "Bolsonaro out" while one read "Anguillara loves Brazil but not Bolsonaro".
Some flag-waving supporters did show their allegiance, however.
In nearby Padua, police fired water cannon to keep demonstrators at bay outside the San Antonio basilica which Bolsonaro had earlier visited while the venue was closed off to the general public.
Apart from green issues, Bolsonaro is also under fire at home after a Brazilian Senate commission endorsed a report seeking to indict him on nine counts, including crimes against humanity, over his Covid response.
About 606,000 Brazilians have died from Covid-19, second only to the United States.
Monday's ceremony took place at an elegant 17th century villa with Bolsonaro guest of honour at a long dinner to which around 200 people were invited.
About a thousand inhabitants of the Italian town of 4,000 fled poverty to emigrate to Brazil at the end of the 19th century, among them Bolsonaro's ancestors.
"I am moved to be here. It's from here that my grandparents left" for Brazil, Bolsonaro told the gathering.
"I am pleased to be surrounded by good people, the AGI news agency quoted him as saying.
"It was God's will that I become president of Brazil... We are doing excellent work which is certainly recognised by the people but not by the mass media," he went on.
