The decision to confirm the concert
by Bruce Springsteen in the Emilia Romagna city of Ferrara on
Thursday evening despite the flooding and landslide emergency in
other parts of the region was a signal that "life goes on",
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said on Friday.
"Life must go on, wherever possible, and without offending
anyone," said Piantedosi.
"It is also right to give a signal that life goes on in contexts
like this," he continued.
"The local authorities assessed that it was logistically
sustainable" and that "it was an opportunity that should not be
wasted and (should be) offered to citizens," said Piantedosi,
adding that the city of Ferrara was not in the area worst hit by
the torrential rainfall and flooding.
"From a logistical point of view it was possible without taking
anything away from the relief apparatus," he added.
On Thursday Ferrara Mayor Alan Fabbri said the Springsteen
concert must go ahead despite calls to call it off in solidarity
with the Emilia Romagna flood victims, insisting that too much
time and effort had been invested in the event and too many
people from all over the world had booked hotels in the city.
He voiced regret, however, if some people thought that the
Ferrara council was being "insensitive" to the lives lost in the
region and the untold devastation caused by the floods and
landslides.
"I'm sorry if some people may have thought that Ferrara has
remained insensitive to the tragedy in Romagna just because it
has not cancelled the concert by The Boss," said Fabbri.
"But I can assure you that, as former mayor of Bondeno which
experienced the 2012 earthquake on the front line, I never asked
Italy or the Region to stop championships, events or company
production out of solidarity towards us.
"First because it doesn't solve anything, apart from creating
other economic damage to areas, workers and businesses which
have invested huge sums to realise the event, and second because
it is a level of demagoguery that is not in my nature," he
added.
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