Gioia Tauro Mayor announces hunger strike following family threats

Simona Scarcella, the mayor of Gioia Tauro, has announced a hunger strike and a protest in front of the town hall following a series of serious threats against her and her family. The mayor reported two major incidents: the delivery of a Christmas card containing seven bullets, including four from a Kalashnikov, to her home in December, and a letter in August containing explicit threats against her children and her dog.

Scarcella has criticized the Prefettura di Reggio Calabria for an insufficient response to her requests for protection. She claims she was not properly informed about a recent technical security meeting and has appealed directly to Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi. Her primary demand is the presence of a police patrol near her residence to ensure the safety of her children.

Local political figures have expressed solidarity with the mayor, stating that democracy cannot be defended through silence and calling on state institutions to fulfill their responsibility to protect elected officials from violence and intimidation.