Merchant Massacre

The Merchant Massacre is the colloquial name for an act of terror carried out on 28 February 4039 by the far-left Istalian People's Brigades (BPI), which saw 181 casualties – exclusively civilian – including 64 deaths and 117 injuries.

The BPI claimed responsibility for the attack less than six hours after it occurred, accusing the small business merchants of being "traitors to Istalia", "oppressors" and "capitalist swine". Both the words and actions of the People's Brigades were strongly condemned by both major sectors of the Istalian mainstream society, and the international community.

The Merchant Massacre is further notable for its trigger role in the establishment of the Emergency Powers Enabling Act.

The attack
At 6.28 AM on 28 February 4039, a bomb placed by the Istalian People's Brigades (BPI) detonated at the Merchant Cartel, a medium-sized square in Romula traditionally occupied by local merchants. The blast immediately killed 58 people, all civilians, and injured 117. A further 6 died in hospital during the following six weeks, for a total of 64 deaths.

At 11.56 AM, the BPI published a video on the Internet, which later spread throughout social media, in which they claimed responsibility for the attack. A significant share of the Romulan police department was subsequently deployed in the manhunt for the suspects. At roughly 2 PM, the Romulan authorities announced that six members of the Istalian People's Brigades had been arrested at Strada dei Siliciani, a mere two blocks south of the Romulan Colloseum. The individuals were found in an apartment, which additionally contained over 98 kilograms of explosives.

Government response
The President of Istalia, Antonio Battisti, held a live televised address to the nation at 6 PM on the day of the attack, during which he announced an indefinite state of emergency. Istalian authorities were criticized by opposition figures for their perceived slow public response to the terrorist attack. In the aftermath of the incident, however, opposition leaders rallied around the government. The day after the attack, 1 March, Prime Minister Alessandro Senna addressed the Chamber of Deputies.

On 1 March 4039, the leaders of all the country's three main parties, PSI, PDS and AdCD, as well as other officials and public personalities, attended a mass mourning sermon honouring the victims of the attack. The sermon was attended by over 140,000 Istalians who filled the streets outside the church, according to estimates by the state television broadcaster, Rais.

Political repercussions
The government of Alessandro Senna, a coalition consisting of the Istalian Socioliberal Party and the Socialist Democratic Party of President Antonio Battisti, passed the official state of emergency act in the Chamber of Deputies on 1 March, with the support of the opposition. However, there were calls from some Socialist Democrat deputies to grant further emergency powers to President Battisti, on the grounds that it would help tackle the Istalian People's Brigades more effectively. The emergency powers were granted to Battisti following a referendum on the matter, in September 4039.