Restaurants, pizzerias and pubs closed due to bradyseism. This is what is happening in Pozzuoli according to a fake news that has been circulating for days beyond the Phlegraean borders and that risks seriously endangering local trade.
A mix of suggestions and fears fueled by false voice as in a sort of “telephone without strings” that ends up delivering a distorted reality to the end user. From thematic groups born on Facebook to videos posted on Tik Tok by phantom earthquake experts, there are numerous distorted messages circulating on the net fueling unfounded concerns. «A Pozzuoli are you really closed because of bradyseism?” is the question that has been asked on more than one occasion to the traders in the areas most affected by bradyseism, by Solfatara up to the historic center and via Napoli.
The reaction
«These imaginative reconstructions are denied by the massive presence of customers who are crowding the city’s clubs these days – declared the councilor for productive activities of the municipality of Pozzuoli, Titti Zazzarowhich has received the SOS of restaurateurs and shopkeepers announcing legal action against those who spread false news -. There is nothing more false and damaging than these rumors and those who spread them should also be prosecuted by law because they create serious damage to the image of the city. As we have reiterated several times in the last month and a half, Pozzuoli is alive and full of enthusiasm and initiatives. For our part, however, we are ready to launch a class action to protect our city and prevent these shameful acts of profiteering from happening again”.
The ones who paid the price last weekend were the restaurateurs of the port of Pozzuoli who had to deal with the skepticism of their customers who, during the booking phase, repeatedly asked if they were regularly open in light of what happened last May. “Two of my customers who live in Naples told me on Sunday that the word had spread that we restaurateurs of Pozzuoli had closed because of the earthquake – he says Pepper Minieriowner of “Scalinatella”, a restaurant located a few steps from the port -. While I received phone calls from other people asking me: are you open? And they were even surprised when I replied that everything was in order».
There are those who are still forced to deal with cancellations due to the “collateral effects” caused by bradyseism and false rumours as in the case of Rosary of the Seaone of the owners of the restaurant «Luna Rossa» located at the beginning of the descent of via Scarfoglio, right on the Solfatara: «I must say that there are those who call us and ask us if everything is ok even though a month and a half has passed since the strong swarm and the question is always the same: “can they hear them where you are? have you heard them?” However, there have been some cancellations, last Sunday for example we had a banquet for a baptism, it was a family from Ischia who didn’t want to come out of fear».
Anger
Between reality and fake news, even the ones who paid the price were… Joseph Brunoknown as Bobò, who now runs the restaurant of the same name in the «La Schiana» area: «We are working much less, people are afraid because they fear the tremors and do not know the escape routes. There are customers from Naples and the province who tell me that they do not want to come to Pozzuoli because they do not want to leave their families».
Nicholas Scamardellaowner of the restaurant “White Chill Out” on Via Napoli, instead, announces his intention to participate in the legal action promoted by the Department of Productive Activities against all those who spread news that damage the image of the city. “I agree with a class action against media scaremongering and misinformation spread through scare-headlines. The other day I read that for a 1.8 earthquake they wrote “super earthquake”. These things hurt and risk ruining all our work and nullifying our sacrifices. Every time there is an earthquake we have to take cover and through our social channels we are forced to deny every false reconstruction simply by publishing photos of our restaurant full of people, thus demonstrating a normal situation”.
Meanwhile the councilor himself Titti Zazzarotogether with the Pozzuoli merchants, launched the video «Innamorati di Pozzuoli» to support the promotion and development of the territory.
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