Community Rallies Against Violence in Fuorigrotta's Play Area

The children of Fuorigrotta have returned to have fun in the playground of Piazza Italia, which, last Thursday, in broad daylight, was the scene of a shooting. Against violence and crime, the neighborhood's citizens took to the streets, supported by Europa Verde, with several signs on which they wrote 'This is not your zone', 'The playground is for children and not for criminals', 'You can't live in fear of being shot'. 'In the playground, reopened just ten days ago after thirteen years of closure, tragedy was narrowly avoided. The mother hit by the stray bullet is fortunately out of danger, but a child in the same trajectory of the bullet could have been fatally hit. According to initial testimonies, it would have been a squabble among young twenty-year-olds for control of the square, a meeting point for the new criminal leadership of the neighborhood. The fight could have cost the lives of innocent children and citizens. You can't live with the fear of being shot.' 'With the opening of Line 6 of the metro, the playground and the new fountain, the area will be frequented by more and more people and we cannot risk a tragedy occurring. The citizens' stories are disturbing, with shootings, shootouts, and score-settlings that have been bloodying the neighborhood for some time. We are facing a real resurgence of crime that cannot go unnoticed,' said Francesco Emilio Borrelli, deputy of the Green Alliance - Left, and representatives of Europa Verde, Salvatore Orga, councilor of the 10th Municipality, Benedetta Sciannimanica, councilor for social policies of the 1st Municipality and a historic member of the Greens, and Rosario Pugliese. 'We ask the Prefect that in the new plan for the city's security, that area is identified as a sensitive area, therefore providing for fixed military posts. These criminals must be stopped, we cannot become accustomed to violence. Exemplary sentences are needed. For those who shoot in the presence of children and innocents, no mercy, life imprisonment is needed. The law enforcement must constantly monitor the hot zones, the presence of the State must be massive and pressing. Acting only after such serious incidents is useless,' they added.