“I was in front of a place in Piazza Mercato and was talking to two friends when suddenly a violent slap came from behind me, hitting my right ear and I was called a homophobic epithet. I had a drink in my hands which I spilled on the very young attacker who was surprised by the reaction when, at a certain point, I saw not only my two friends but the entire square coming towards me to form a security cordon towards me”. As Alexander, 36 years old, he tellsHandle of the homophobic attack suffered in Piazza Mercato, in the historic center of Foggia, last Saturday. In the attack, a friend of the victim was injured in the throat (hit by a violent slap), who suffered injuries to his vocal cords, and a girl of African origin was the subject of a violent racially motivated verbal attack.
“There were about ten kids, a real baby gang, I think almost all of them were minors. But the reaction of the people – she highlights – was strong. They all made a wall. The attackers probably thought they were 10 against one and instead they found themselves 10 against 100.” Since 2010, Alessandro has lived and worked as a make-up artist and cosmetics and beauty expert in Milan but often returns to his city where his family and many of his friends live. “I was forced not to be able to imagine my future in the province of Foggia because due to my characteristics my life was continually threatened. As a teenager, I was also subjected to very violent attacks – he recalls – while I was on the street in Foggia, sometimes even in the presence of my parents”. Alessandro filed a complaint with the police who arrived on the scene the evening of the attack. “It also really irritates me that many people consider Piazza Mercato to be a dangerous place – he explains – but in reality it is the pulsating historic center of the city. In my opinion, many people don’t even report the attacks because the situation doesn’t change anyway. It is a territory too abandoned by the institutions that must protect it. I wonder if those responsible for the safety of citizens have failed in everything.” “An attitude like the one I suffered – concludes Alessandro – does not characterize me but those who practice it”. (Handle)
