Spanish Quarters, Fireworks as Acts of War: Residents' Alarm

Naples – Scenes of urban guerrilla warfare in the Spanish Quarter, where illegal celebrations turn into demonstrations of criminal force. The images, made public only now, show an impressive pyrotechnic arsenal: 70 batteries of fireworks exploded in the street in the heart of the neighborhood.

The episode was reported by a resident of Vico Concordia, exasperated by a situation that he now defines as “unsustainable”. The night of the explosion of the fireworks, he says, the neighborhood was held hostage until three in the morning. “We are tired and bitter,” he reports. “How much longer will we have to put up with all this?”

The deputy of the Green Left Alliance, Francesco Emilio Borrelli, who has been fighting against the phenomenon of “wild fires” for years, also intervenes on the issue. “This is a real challenge to the State,” he declares.

The lack of controls has allowed an escalation of illegality, transforming these pyrotechnic shows into symbols of criminal power in the territory. The stronger the clan, the more impressive the battery of fireworks used to mark its presence”.

Despite the tourist and social redevelopment of the neighborhood, crime continues to maintain strong roots. "We cannot allow the territory to sink into the abyss again," warns Borrelli. "Drastic interventions and effective repression of these phenomena are needed."

On the legislative front, the MP denounces the stalemate of the proposed laws for the total ban on unauthorized fireworks: "We have put forward several initiatives, but they seem destined to remain closed in a drawer".

Meanwhile, in the alleys of the Spanish Quarter, fear and exasperation are growing. Residents are demanding immediate answers, while images of the pyrotechnic “battle” continue to circulate on the web, testifying to a reality that increasingly resembles a war zone.