Naples: YouTuber Cicalone was attacked with a stick at Central Station.

NNaples– "They were two African boys. One of them hit me several times with a stick and tried to steal my camera." Simone Ruzzi, a well-known YouTuber who goes by the pseudonym Cicalone and has long been involved in social reporting in the Campania capital, recounted the attack he suffered yesterday at Naples Central Station.

“We had just gotten off the train with Neapolitan singer Tyler B., who was going to take us on a tour of the city,” explains Ruzzi.

"In Piazza Garibaldi The situation seemed calm, but after a few minutes, a young man ordered us to stop filming. I explained to him that we were in a public place and that the filming was legitimate, but he called someone on the phone."

Shortly afterward, a second man appeared, "more robust, wearing a cap and a camouflage shirt," Cicalone recounts. "Without warning, he kicked videographer Evelina, causing her to drop the camera, and tried to grab it.

Beaten with a stick and tried to steal the camera

I stepped in to protect her, and he grabbed a stick, hitting me repeatedly on the arm.”

Only the use of pepper spray—sprayed into the air as a deterrent—allowed the group to drive the attacker away. "He attempted to hide among the other young men present, but the Army intervened and identified him after I reported him. Then the Railway Police arrived and arrested him while we reported the incident."

The political reaction: "An attack on freedom of information."

The incident sparked immediate reactions. Five Star Movement MP Marianna Ricciardi expressed solidarity with Cicalone: "This is a very serious incident, not only because of the violence but also because of the intimidating message: 'No filming here.' It's an attempt to silence those who expose uncomfortable realities, from degradation to crime. To Simone, I say: you are not alone. And we will respond to those who use force with the law."

Cicalone, known for his reporting on critical issues in Naples, has long been denouncing situations of insecurity and degradation. This attack reignites the debate over the control of sensitive areas and freedom of reporting in contexts of high social tension.

Investigations are underway to reconstruct the circumstances of the attack and verify any prior criminal history of the attackers. Meanwhile, the question many are asking is: why should filming in Naples be a risk?