Footage shared online shows tourists and souvenir shop owners trading punches, kicks and swinging chairs after a brawl erupted in the upmarket Italian resort of Capri.
The fight broke out in broad daylight in the Marina Grande port area of the holiday destination. It reportedly flared up after shopkeepers asked a group of tourists to move their children away from the entrance to a souvenir shop.
Chaotic scenes in Marina Grande
Shocking footage shows several people involved in the chaotic scenes as stunned tourists and locals look on. People could be seen throwing punches and kicks, while chairs were also swung during the melee. The confrontation lasted for several minutes, with mobile phone footage showing the fight already in full swing before it eventually came to an end.
Footage of the ugly scenes was sent to Capri mayor Paolo Falco. He said: “The reasons were trivial, but it was an extremely unpleasant incident. It is not, however, a security emergency.
Mayor and MP respond
“When two million people arrive, unfortunately, a dispute can happen. We have mobilised all available forces, together with the municipal police, to patrol the busiest areas.”
The video was also shared online by Francesco Emilio Borrelli, an MP for the Greens and Left Alliance (AVS), who called for greater security on the popular holiday island. He said: “This is yet another brawl. Greater security is urgently needed. At night, a single patrol covers the island, and that is not good enough.
“Seeing people fighting with chairs, kicks and punches is unacceptable. Capri is one of Campania’s main tourist destinations and deserves a level of security appropriate to its importance.”
Mayor Falco said the island is also monitored by around 80 high-resolution CCTV cameras. It is unclear exactly where the tourists were from.
