Brawls erupt in Cagliari, exasperated shopkeepers: "This isn't the way to work. In some areas, it's a free-for-all."

Fights are the order of the day and the feeling that in some areas of Cagliari there is a sort of "free for all" .

The brawl between foreigners that took place last night in the center of Cagliari has brought the issue of violence in nightlife venues back into the spotlight.

Fipe Confcommercio Sud Sardegna (FIPE, Confcommercio Sud Sardegna) is voicing the concerns of economic operators: "We can't work like this. We need to make an extra effort to ensure everyone's safety," is the alarm.

"Our members are angry and worried: these incidents are now the order of the day . Despite the constant work of the police and the many events that try to restore vitality and livability to the center, we find ourselves having to deal with fights, damage and situations that undermine the serenity of citizens and businesses," says the president of the association, Emanuele Frongia .

These are not serious crimes or organized crime, and it is recognized that Cagliari is safer than other Italian cities. "But precisely for this reason, we need to make an extra effort; we can't simply say that 'we're better off than others': our citizens and our workers have the right to live and work without the fear of a fight breaking out in front of their premises or under their doors ."

The widespread perception among operators and citizens is that in some areas of the city, such as the Marina district, there is a sort of "free for all" .

Frongia also points the finger at other phenomena related to "degradation, vagrancy, or begging," incidents that "citizens and business owners experience daily, often going unreported, yet impacting the quality of life in the city. Often, we ourselves are forced to remove these people from the places where we work."

Fipe asks for "concrete answers", otherwise there is the risk that "someone, exasperated, will choose the path of private justice" .

(Unioneonline/L)