Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino convened
the city government for the second time on Friday in Ostia,
where he is temporarily serving as municipal chief following the
resignation of former head Andrea Tassone in relation to the
Mafia Capitale investigation into organized crime in the
capital.
When Marino took over the post last week, he declared that
he intended to open the beaches to the public following the
investigations into mafia involvement in the bathing
establishments there by demolishing the entrances in a project
that is being referred to informally as "bulldozers of
legality".
On Thursday however, Italy's regional administrative court
ruled against this operation in an appeal by Federbalneari, the
association representing the bathing establishments, and the
beach access entrances that were opened to the public are now
closed again by order of the court.
Alfonso Sabelli, councillor for legality who has been
delegated to the Ostia beachfront, said on Friday that an
agreement had been reached with Federbalneari under which five
of the entrances would be opened to the public next Monday, of
which two are already open.
"I believe that there's now the willingness on both sides
to come to a shared solution in the best interest of the people,
because no one wants to see wars, bulldozers, and soldiers (at
Ostia)," Sabelli said.
Federbalneari President Renato Papagni said, "Already for
this year's beach season, a few walls will be substituted with
hedges. We're going to meet on Tuesday with the (city)
administration to determine where and how".
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