The expedited ‘Resilienza’ trial, one of the most important investigations of recent years conducted by the Palermo Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Carabinieri, has concluded in the Court of Cassation. A significant number of shopkeepers and entrepreneurs had come forward to report crimes, also with the support of our movement.
The ruling confirms how, for the first time, the phenomenon of collective reporting involved numerous shopkeepers and entrepreneurs in the Borgo Vecchio neighborhood of Palermo.
In the trial, we requested to join as a civil party, alongside several victims who had faced multiple extortion attempts at their construction sites. It was through a process of listening and support, carried out together with the victims and in synergy with magistrates and the Carabinieri, that the decision matured among those who chose to resist and not yield to extortion demands. A system of protection and support has now been firmly established, capable of ensuring the best possible conditions for those who come forward to report.
Today, as demonstrated by the hundreds of stories of Palermo’s shopkeepers and entrepreneurs who have reported extortion over the past twenty years, also thanks to our support, it is possible to stand up to extortion even in difficult contexts like Borgo Vecchio, without exposing oneself or seeking the spotlight — unlike Libero Grassi, who was forced into it.
However, if we are to bring about a decisive change in overcoming criminal and extortion phenomena, it is essential that politics invest in areas like Borgo Vecchio — places marked by deep pockets of poverty and decay — where fundamental rights such as housing, employment, education, and healthcare remain out of reach for many.
We cannot rely solely on the work of magistrates and law enforcement; politics must create a social and economic alternative to Cosa Nostra.
In the video below, you can hear the words of the then Provincial Commander of the Carabinieri of Palermo, General Arturo Guarino, who removes his hat as a gesture of gratitude toward the business owners who came forward to report crimes and the anti-racket associations that supported the victims.
PRESS
La Repubblica Palermo – Palermo, i commercianti contro il pizzo: 20 arresti. La mossa dei boss: “Un tatuaggio con Falcone e Borsellino
Live Sicilia – Addiopizzo: “Basta con gli eroi Palermo è una città normale”
La Repubblica Palermo – Schiaffo a Cosa nostra Al Borgo Vecchio vince il coraggio degli imprenditori
