Rome police investigate metro station attack.
An Italian YouTuber famed for his videos of pickpockets on Rome’s subways was assaulted by a gang of around 10 people at a metro station near the Vatican on Wednesday evening.
The violent incident took place just after 18.30 when Simone Ruzzi, better known as Cicalone, was attacked from behind before being knocked to the ground and kicked in the face.
The gang also assaulted a security guard and insulted videomaker Evelina, who films Cicalone, before fleeing on foot towards Viale Giulio Cesare in the Prati district.
Attack
Cicalone, who suffered multiple facial injuries, was treated by paramedics and taken to the Umberto I hospital where he underwent a CT scan.
“They could have killed me” – Cicalone said from the ambulance – “It was a punishment attack organised by the pickpocket ring leaders. They are people we know well.”
“At first there were only two of them, then others arrived” – Evelina said, cited by La Repubblica newspaper – “They knocked him down and kicked him while he was on the ground. They didn’t stop.”
The suspicion is that the group had planned the attack, with revenge being the likely motive.
“They were in constant contact” – Evelina said – “As soon as the first ones saw Cicalone, they immediately alerted their accomplices. They were all already at the station ready to attack him”.
Social media
Cicalone, a boxer turned YouTuber, has built a large following on social media in recent years – 865,000 followers on YouTube, 873,000 on Facebook and 452,000 on Instagram – documenting crime in Rome.
His videos see him directly confront pickpockets and chase them out of Rome’s metro stations, warning tourists to be careful of their belongings and identifying those responsible for the thefts, sometimes catching them in the act.
Cicalone has gained widespread support on social media from Roman commuters, many of whom credit him with spurring authorities into recently increasing a police presence on the subways to combat the rampant pickpocketing.
Previous attacks
Last summer Cicalone was attacked on two separate occasions in front of the central train station in Naples.
In April he was attacked by pickpockets near Rome’s Flaminio metro station while in May someone attempted to run him over with a speeding car while he was crossing the street in the Piramide area of the capital.
