In an interesting display of beach etiquette gone awry, a heated confrontation erupted over the weekend at an Italian coastal resort near Naples. The incident highlights the lengths some sun-seekers will go to secure the most coveted spots near the shoreline.
The altercation started when two women demanded they be given sunbeds close to the sea, attempting to cut in front of those who had already been on the beach for hours. Lifeguards, however, refused to accommodate their request, sparking a vicious altercation.
Eyewitness accounts describe the women wrestling and yanking each other’s hair, as they engaged in a scrap that lasted for “more than half an hour.” The women then turned their aggression towards the lifeguards who had been trying to intervene and pull them apart.
“…between women in broad daylight, in front of families and children. For what? A sunbed on the seashore. We have surpassed all imagination,” said Francesco Emilio Borrelli, a member of parliament who was informed of the incident.
Borrelli labeled the perpetrators’ behavior as “uncontrolled violence” and emphasized the need for “re-education” on proper public conduct. He also called for the women to be identified and brought to justice, stating that “those who think they can do what they want, sowing panic on a beach, cannot go unpunished.”
The viral video of the incident shows the women in their swimwear engaged in a fierce struggle, as a crowd of bystanders attempts to intervene. Their faces are partially obscured, but the intensity of the grappling is evident.
While “sunbed wars” are not entirely uncommon in popular Mediterranean resort destinations, this level of violence is considered highly unusual. In the past, tourists have been seen racing to secure the best poolside and beachside spots, but rarely has it escalated to such a degree.
