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The Italian town that suffered a devastating earthquake last month has filed a lawsuit against Charlie Hebdo over its depiction of the tragedy.
Amatrice is suing the French satirical magazine fo r defamation after it published a cartoon entitled: "Earthquake, Italian Style" , in reference to the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that killed more than 291 people and left a further 2,500 displaced .
The image depicted three people: a bloodied man labelled “Penne, tomato sauce”, a charred woman labelled “Crustes penne” and a collapsed building with battered limbs poking out entitled “Lasagne”.
Amatrice lawyer Mario Cicchetti filed the complaint on behalf of the town's local coucil in Rieti.
Mr Cicchetti told Italian news agency ANSA : “This is a macabre, senseless and inconceivable insult to victims of a natural event."
Italians had reacted to the cartoons with anger, and social media users described them as heartless" and "distasteful".
In response to the outcry Charlie Hebdo extended the unpopular joke by writing a message on their Facebook page stating: “Italians, it's not Charlie Hebdo that builds your homes, it's the Mafia!”
The Facebook post featured another cartoon depicting a bloodied and battered woman in the rubble with the same message.
Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the worldShow all 23 1 /23Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Pakistan Pakistani Islamists burn a French flag during a protest against the printing of satirical sketches of the Prophet Mohammad by French magazine Charlie Hebdo in Quetta, Pakistan on 22 January 2015
Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Afghanistan Afghan demonstrators set a French flag on fire during a protest against the printing of satirical sketches of the Prophet Mohamed by French magazine Charlie Hebdo in Jalalabad on January 19 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Afghanistan An Afghan boy holds a placard during a rally against the French magazine 'Charlie Hebdo' Jalalabad, Afghanistan, 19 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Afghanistan Afghans chant slogans during a protest against cartoons published in French magazine Charlie Hebdo in the city of Jalalabad, on 19 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Iran Protesters clash with members of the Iranian security services during a demonstration against Charlie Hebdo in Tehran on 19 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Iran Iranians carry a placard bearing the picture of Jihad, the son of assassinated senior Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, during a protest against Charlie Hebdo outside the French embassy in Tehran on 19 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Niger People run past a police car on fire by protesters during a demonstration against French weekly Charlie Hebdo's publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohamed in front of the grand mosque in Niamey
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Niger A church, which was damaged after it was set on fire by protesters during a demonstration against French weekly Charlie Hebdo's publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohamed in Niamey,
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Niger A police van set on fire by protesters during a demonstration against French weekly Charlie Hebdo's publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed in Niamey
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Niger Smoke billows in a street as people demonstrate against French weekly Charlie Hebdo's publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohamed near the grand mosque in Niamey, on 17 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Chechnya People attend a state-organised rally against the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed by Charlie Hebdo in the Chechen capital Grozny on 19 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Chechnya People pray during a state-organised rally against the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed by Charlie Hebdo in the Chechen capital Grozny on 19 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Chechnya Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov speaks an anti-Charlie Hebdo rally in Grozny on 19 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Philippines Women protest in Marawi, Philippines, over Prophet Mohamed depictions
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Philippines Protesters in Marawi, Philippines, burn a poster with the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Pakistan Pakistani protesters shout slogans during a protest against the printing of sketches of the Prophet Mohamed by French magazine Charlie Hebdo, in Lahore on 18 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Pakistan Pakistani demonstrators burn the French flag during a protest against the printing of satirical sketches of the Prophet Mohamed in Charlie Hebdo, in Peshawar on January 19, 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Pakistan Supporters of banned Islamic charity Jamat-ud-Dawa rally against a decision by the controversial French magazine 'Charlie Hebdo' to publish a depiction of the Prophet Mohamed, in Lahore, Pakistan, 18 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Mali Thousands of people take to the streets of the Malian capital Bamako on January 16 to protest against Charlie Hebdo
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Mali People hold up signs as they rally against Charlie Hebdo in Bamako on 16 January 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Algeria Demonstrators burn the French national flag after Friday prayers in Algiers January 16, 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Algeria Demonstrators clash with police in anti-Charlie Hebdo protests after Friday prayers in Algiers January 16, 2015
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Anti-Charlie Hebdo protests around the world Algeria Demonstrators clash with police in anti-Charlie Hebdo protests after Friday prayers in Algiers January 16, 2015
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International opinion on Charlie Hebdo is mixed. In January 2015 the publication attracted global sympathy and was hailed as a bastion of free speech after Islamists stormed its Paris offices and killed 12 people.
Charlie Hebdo has not responded to a request for comment.
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