Bagnoli protests against the America's Cup: roadblocks this morning

Naples, September 21, 2026 – While the Mergellina waterfront hosts the America's Cup event, a protest is taking place in Bagnoli, temporarily blocking roads: residents are blocking the passage of trucks headed for the so-called "colmata" construction site. The No America's Cup network reports that residents have displayed a banner reading "Bagnoli is not for sale" and are calling for attention to the alleged environmental impacts of dredging.

According to the protesters, the neighborhood is witnessing an environmental disaster: accusations refer to hydrocarbons present in the water and air deemed unbreathable, denouncing that these conditions are linked to the ongoing dredging operations and their effects on the local ecosystem.

Among the accusations is also the financial aspect: the protesters dispute the mystery surrounding the costs incurred by the administration for the America's Cup, citing a sum of approximately 200 million euros "requested and received by the mayor" for work related to the event, which however is deemed to have no significant impact on the cleanup.

Protesters also point to truck traffic crossing the neighborhood, the destruction of roads, and the obstruction of escape routes in an area described as being in the midst of a bradyseismic crisis, denouncing that these conditions further penalize the local population.

A doctor on the civic side of the protest replied that the America's Cup "has nothing to do with the reclamation of Bagnoli" and that, on the contrary, it would be used to hinder sustainable development plans, favoring a build-up that would contribute to the destruction of the marine ecosystem.

The residents are demanding a free beach, clean sea, and a forest, as well as seismic safety measures and immediate support for the displaced residents of the neighborhood and Pozzuoli. Their request is clear: an immediate halt to the work and the cancellation of the projects described as "criminal," implemented under the guise of the America's Cup, until genuine cleanup and environmental and social safety of the area are guaranteed.