A fire in the night between
Tuesday and Wednesday has devastated a renowned anti-fascist
bookstore and café in Rome, which was scheduled to re-open on
Thursday after renovation work following another blaze on April
25.
Carabinieri police and firefighters are investigating the
cause of the fire and are not ruling out it was an arson attack,
possibly linked to the local drug trade, investigative sources
said Wednesday.
Traces of flammable liquid were found at the scene, sources
said.
The owner of the bookstore "La Pecora Elettrica" (the
electric sheep) in Rome's Centocelle district said his shop was
targeted by arsonists.
"Last night's fire destroyed it again", he said.
"They got in and set everything on fire", he said of the
alleged arsonists.
A previous arson attack completely destroyed the store in
April this year.
Police said there might be a link between the two fires and
one that broke out in a shop across the street last month.
The two stores, which were the only ones open at night, may
have been disturbing local drug pushers working in an adjacent
park, police said.
Lazio Governor and Democratic Party (PD) leader Nicola
Zingaretti said the bookstore "is a place of culture and
socialization".
"It was set on fire tonight after last April's fire",
Zingaretti wrote on Twitter.
"To the owners I say: hang in there and fight to give back to
Rome the beauty and passion of your social commitment".
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