Naples – The faces of the “saints with guns” placed next to the Madonna dell'Arco. This is the complaint launched by the deputy of Alleanza Verdi-Sinistra, Francesco Emilio Borrelli, after, during a procession of “fujenti” in via Toledo, a banner was displayed with the image of Ugo Russo, the 15-year-old who died while attempting a robbery.
A tribute that was repeated in Via Acton, where banners and smoke bombs appeared in memory of the boy.
“There is the Madonna with the gun by Banksy, a work that denounces the link between religion and crime, and then there are the processions in which the real faces of the robbers parade – declared Borrelli –. The celebration of the Madonna dell'Arco in Naples becomes once again an opportunity to pay homage to those who have chosen the path of crime”.
Several reports reached the parliamentarian from citizens outraged by the presence of the banner dedicated to Russo and the banners that appeared on the parapet of the Galleria della Vittoria. The message “Truth and justice for Ugo Russo” was posted on three strips of fabric, complete with lit smoke bombs and a video published on social media by supporters of the young robber.
Borrelli then underlined the problem of the relationship between religious events and crime: “Processions should never pay homage to robbers, nor should the Church have ties, even symbolic, with criminal environments. Ugo Russo was only 15 years old when he lost his life during a robbery. Too young to be fully aware of what he was doing, but a victim of an environment that pushed him towards that choice. We have never pointed the finger at him, but at those who educated him to crime, condemning him to a sealed fate”.
Borrelli announced that he had sent all the material collected to the authorities to verify whether the demonstration was authorized, also in relation to the traffic disruptions reported by citizens. And on the issue of the banners, he added: “Why do these marches never show the faces of the victims of the Camorra or the heroes who fought against crime? Because it is easier to overturn reality and gain consensus with false sentimentality. But more and more people are understanding the truth and are siding with the right side”.
Article published on March 10, 2025 - 13pm
It's strange that the Madonna is compared to criminals, I think it's not fair. I don't understand why certain young people are idolized for bad choices. True justice must always prevail over these messages.