Naples – Today, Wednesday, February 25, Bagnoli once again became the scene of protests against the construction of the America's Cup. A group of activists from the "No America's Cup" network, along with several neighborhood residents, gathered in the square to block the transit of trucks headed toward the landfill site. Their goal is to demand that the City Council immediately halt the construction work, a prerequisite for a meaningful and participatory discussion at the single-issue city council meeting scheduled for March 3 in Bagnoli.
"Decisions are made after listening to the citizens, not before. Any walkway through the area, without a real halt to the work, will not be accepted by the citizens," chanted the protesters, who are also calling for a halt to dredging in the gulf.
"Saying no to the Coppa Italia actually means saying yes: yes to a public beach, to a forest, to a clean sea accessible to all, to the return of the land to its inhabitants," the activists added, reiterating their call for a dialogue that begins with respect for the environment and the local community.
It seems to me to be a justified but also confusing protest. People were not properly informed, and the administration continued construction without engaging with residents. I understand the reasons, but an open and more concrete dialogue was needed to resolve the neighborhood's problems. The activists spoke as if nothing was happening, and no one responded.