Rome Imposes 4-Month Colosseum Red Zone After 50-Person Clash
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 7
Rome Imposes 4-Month Colosseum Red Zone After 50-Person Clash
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 7
Summary
Aug. 24 marked the start of a four-month “enhanced-control zone” around the Colosseum, Imperial Forums and Colle Oppio, giving police power to remove people deemed violent, threatening or persistently disruptive.
A July 1 confrontation involving about 50 people near Piazza del Colosseo drove the move after fireworks, resistance to police and damage to police property left two officers with minor injuries.
The six-page order cites a resurgence of predatory crime, drug dealing and fights, with Largo Gaetana Agnesi, Colle Oppio park and nearby Metro C access points flagged as recurring trouble spots.
Authorities can target people reported in the past five years for specified offenses, while violators of the order risk criminal charges under Italian law.
Rome also extended a separate security zone around Termini and Santa Maria Maggiore as officials brace for heavy tourist and pilgrim flows amid a broader security threat environment.
Will Rome's drastic new Colosseum security zone truly stop pickpockets, or simply push dangerous street scams into unsuspecting neighboring districts?
With police granted sweeping powers to banish individuals based on past records, could Rome's historic center become a hotbed for aggressive profiling?