BOLZANO. Piazza della Parrocchia has returned to being the headquarters of drug dealing. In the light of day, they sit on benches or at the foot of the Duomo wall: they chat, listen to music and deal. And that’s not all.
So much violence, almost only between them, which translates into just as much fear for the residents. So much so that in the evening, some go around in order to avoid passing through via Isarco. A group of residents told us this with a joint protest sent to the newspaper. Sergio lives in via Cappuccini, Claudia and Roberto in via Wolkenstein, Marisa in via della Mostra. However, they all live the exact same situation: «Going out in the evening, alone, has become dangerous because there is always the risk of being attacked», we read in the protest sent to the editorial staff, «There are at least fifteen foreign boys, some minors, who constantly hang around a stone’s throw from piazza Walther. Aggressive and uncivilized. As soon as the police leave, they return to occupy the space to continue their activity».
The president of the district, Sylvia Hofer, has repeatedly denounced episodes of degradation, speaking of a situation that was “out of control”. “It all started with groups of people who would regularly gather under the tree”, continues another resident, who wishes to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, “When darkness fell, they would take the chairs and tables of the restaurant “Vecchia Bolzano”, screaming until late at night. Then, fortunately, the restaurant decided to bring everything inside. But nothing has changed”.
The episodes
Residents speak of “paper thrown on the ground”, “people washing their feet in the fountain”, while some “urinate on the wall of the church”.
It’s been a long time since the area was occupied so permanently. Over the years they have moved to Parco della Stazione, Parco dei Cappuccini and behind the municipal theatre, where work should soon begin to secure it with five anti-degradation gates. Barriers that citizens have been asking for a long, long time. “They used to gather mainly in via Garibaldi and now they have moved here, towards piazza della Parrocchia”, continues the spokesperson for the protest, “The square had benches: these have also been removed, but it was no use. I tried to speak with the office of the Curia and also with the parish to urge a frustrating problem, which seems unsolvable”. In fact, in recent months Don Mario Gretter, parish priest at the Cathedral of Bolzano for 13 years, also came forward with these words. “Unfortunately the demand for drugs is very high, constantly increasing even among the youngest, and the distribution takes place in the heart of the historic center”.
The intervention of the police commissioner
There are checks and controls, and there is no denying it. The last police operation dates back to just yesterday, when several patrol cars surrounded Piazza della Parrocchia to start the checks. People were stopped, searched and identified. But most of the reports, as reported by official sources from the Police Headquarters, were for fights and rowdiness: fourteen in the last four months. “This is one of the most monitored areas of the city,” intervenes the police commissioner Paolo Sartori, “Every anomalous episode is reported to us and we intervene promptly, as happened a few hours ago.”
2024-09-07 05:01:04