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| Image by djedj@Pixabay |
The feast of San Gennaro (see previous blog) is a huge religious festival in Naples and, as with many similar events, it's an excuse for forgetting about work and everyday cares and concentrating on making merry.
On such a major public holiday people relax and let down their guard... hence the reason, it turned out, that those of us bedding down in the central Forcella district after the festivities were woken around 3am by what sounded like an invading army and airforce.
And that's pretty much what it was. A combined troupe of 300 or so carabinieri and police had chosen the early hours of the morning after the celebratory night before to carry out a raid on organised crime targets.
The helicopter that woke me sounded as if it were outside the front windows of my apartment. In reality, it was hovering somewhere just above the building and occasionally doing circuits of the area – for a long time. The ongoing racket was punctuated by shouting and loud bangs that sounded like doors being smashed in.
Next morning's news confirmed that that was exactly what was happening, and the cops had amassed quite a haul of guns and drugs and suspect individuals.
All next day there was a heavy (and preening) police presence on street corners around the centre. They were obviously very pleased with themselves and what had been a good night's work for them – even if it had been a terrible night's sleep for the rest of us.
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