San Benedetto del Tronto, July 12, 2026 – The staff of PiceAmbiente, during the periodic cleaning activity in the Ponterotto neighborhood, on Saturday morning had taken away everything from the Iraqi citizen who had camped behind the Madonna del Suffragio Church: tent, mattress, cookware, and clothing. The man reacted, allegedly threatened the local police, and tried to resist the State Police officers who reported him while at liberty.
However, the foreign citizen first returned to block traffic on Ponterotto street, then did so along the Adriatic highway, and on Saturday evening tried to block the heavy traffic at the beginning of the seafront, in front of the Palazzina Azzurra.
Shocking images of the beating
On the seafront, the man was beaten by Giuseppe Barboni, registered with Futuro Nazionale of Vannacci, and ‘deposited’ on the sidewalk amid the honking of blocked motorists and people who cheered during the beating.
Images that have circulated widely on the web, where reactions from ordinary citizens and political figures were not lacking. Mayor Nicola Mozzoni distanced himself from the episode and from any form of vigilante justice. “Violence can never be a solution and taking justice into your own hands is not the right path. As an administration, we clearly distance ourselves from this act and any similar behavior. If someone feels that we are not doing enough, I am sorry, but I assure everyone that every day, together with institutions and competent authorities, we are doing our utmost to guarantee safety and decorum in the city.”
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The PD: “Violence cannot replace the rule of law”
The issue of security will be the focus of an urgent inquiry announced by Iacopo Zappasodi, leader of the Democratic Party in the City Council. Zappasodi condemns both the violence and the choice to disseminate the images. “As the Democratic Party, we will never tolerate violence replacing the rule of law and justice being overtaken by throwing punches. We do not even enter into the merits of the scuffle’s dynamics, because in those scenes there are no rights or wrongs, only degradation. The episode once again arises from the mismanagement of the emergency afflicting the Ponterotto neighborhood.”
The Public Prosecutor’s Office is now working on the entire case, called to evaluate what happened and the position of the people involved.
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