Press
Party guests turn the Isola delle Femmine near Palermo upside down. The public prosecutor’s office is investigating the organizers. What is the party all about?
Palermo – On Saturday (29 June), the idyllic nature reserve Isola delle Femmine off the coast of Palermo (Italy) was transformed first into a party zone and then into a battlefield, as The Republic reported. Around 80 people, most of them from Palermo’s upper class, gathered there for a wild party. The result: a trail of destruction from cigarette butts, plastic bottles and campfire remains. While the public prosecutor’s office has begun its investigation, many questions remain unanswered – especially about the role of those involved and the actual motives behind the event.
Huge outrage in Italy: revelers leave battlefield in nature reserve
The whole thing seems like a paradox par excellence, starting with the fact that the party participants celebrated with a “Save the Planet” sign in their hands – on an island known for its ecological value and as a refuge for rare animal species. As if that were not enough, the DJ of the evening, Maurizio Giglio alias “Mauriziotto”, was a retired coast guard officer who was himself responsible for protecting the island. He defended himself by arguing that he had only as a DJ for a video clip acted and was not the organizer.
Controversial party in the nature reserve: “Nobody has ever invaded the island like this”
“Mauriziotto” (Maurizio Giglio), stressed loudly The Republic repeatedly that he did not organize the event. The actual organizers are the twin brothers Vito and Antonio Triolo, two doctors from Palermo. They allegedly received permission from the island’s owner, Marchesa Paola Pilo Bacci, to shoot a video to highlight the island’s beauty. But the Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli (LIPU), the association for nature conservation, which manages the protected area, contradicts this: it was not informed about the event and did not grant permission.
The celebration ended abruptly when the coast guard, supported by the Carabinieri, tax officials and the police, intervened and asked the participants to identify themselves. It turned out that the revelers were mainly members of the Palermo bourgeoisie, including many professionals and businessmen. The authorities noted that the island had been badly affected by the celebration: garbage and residue from bonfires were everywhere.
“Since the reserve was founded in 1997, no one has ever invaded the island in this way,” said Vincenzo Di Dio, director of the reserve, according to ANSA. “When I visited after the party, I found cigarette butts, glass and plastic bottles, and stacked pieces of wood intended for a bonfire. It was an absolute eyesore.”
Isola delle Femmine: Public prosecutor investigates
The incident has not only criminal but also social consequences. The question of how this event could have come about and why none of the relevant authorities were informed beforehand is now being investigated by the public prosecutor’s office.
This will also assess possible crimes based on where the organizers, the cameramen for the video recordings, the DJs and the guests have landed: whether it is an area that is used for authorized visits or an area that is closed for environmental reasons. The incident is reminiscent of Fuerteventura, where earlier this year a DJ from Hamburg played at an illegal rave party in the middle of a protected area. (ls)
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