Leftists, environmental groups, and locals from the Roseto degli Abruzzi coastal commune in Italy have intensified their campaign to protect Borsacchio Nature Reserve on the Abruzzo coast. They are protesting the amendment to the budget law passed by the right-wing-led Abruzzo regional council in December which would substantially reduce the protected area of the Borsacchio Nature Reserve in the municipality of Roseto degli Abruzzi by 98%.
The Borsacchio Reserve Guides Association has also denounced such a decision, organized a protest demonstration on January 1, and called for further campaigns on January 6 and 7 in Roseto degli Abruzzi.
On December 29, the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) which is supporting the campaign accused that, by reducing the protected status area from 1100 hectares to 24 hectares, the right-wing dominated Regional Council of Abruzzo led by Lorenzo Sospiri from Forza Italia (FI) and region’s president Marco Marsilio from the Brothers of Italy (FdI) has served a mortal blow to decades-long efforts of the people of Roseto degli Abruzzi to protect Borsacchio Nature Reserve.
The coastal area of Roseto was recognized as a site of public interest and deemed to be protected by the Legislative Decree in 1963. It was a proposal by the communist councilor from PRC Angelo Orlando, on 7 July 2004, in the regional council led to the establishment of the Borsacchio Nature Reserve in 2005, comprising the coastal strip, and adjoining hilly area, fulfilling the half-a-decade-long demand by residents of the coastal town. Since then, the leftists and grassroots movements have resisted multiple attempts to grab land in the reserve for commercial activities through legal and illegal methods, with backing from the ruling class.
Maurizio Acerbo, a leader of the PRC, stated that “the regional Council’s blitz on the Borsacchio Nature Reserve is a national shame and gives an idea of the regression that the country is experiencing. This is an act of institutional arrogance that is UNJUSTIFIED and UNCONSTITUTIONAL.”
Acerbo has also slammed the opposition, especially the Democratic Party (PD), for not opposing the right-wing blitz on the reserve in the regional council.
On December 31, Marco Borgatti; president, of the Borsacchio Reserve Guides Association, called on the municipal councilors and the Municipality of Roseto degli Abruzzi to keep their promises and to call a municipal council to oppose this destruction of the reserve orchestrated by the right-wing dominated regional council.
