From controversy to legal action. The Municipality of Riccione has formally appointed Moreno Maresi, a lawyer registered with the Rimini Bar, to assess and pursue legal proceedings related to videos published on the official TikTok channel of the Lega party, content the administration considers damaging to the town’s image and reputation.
The controversy erupted on August 5, when a video appeared on the “@legaofficial” profile imagining a Riccione of 2030 if Matteo Salvini were not Interior Minister. The clip showed images of a beach crowded with dark-skinned people, accompanied by the caption: “POV: It’s 2030, you’re on the beach in Riccione and Matteo Salvini is not Interior Minister.”
The footage used, however, had not been filmed in Riccione but in Ceuta, a Spanish city in North Africa affected by the phenomenon of migrant landings. The council immediately branded the comparison unacceptable and disingenuous. The first video surpassed 700,000 views, drawing numerous offensive comments as well. According to the administration, when taking into account other content subsequently published by the same profile on the matter, total views exceeded two million.
Now comes the next step. The council has given Maresi the task of safeguarding Riccione’s prestige, tourist image and reputation and assessing what action to take through the appropriate channels.
“Faced with the arrogance of those who insult Riccione and its founding values, the city’s response is a firm defence of its own history — says Mayor Daniela Angelini —. We will not budge an inch and, as we have widely announced, we have given a legal mandate to lawyer Moreno Maresi, whom I thank for his availability, to defend our city.”
Angelini also reiterated that “Riccione has always been a town of welcome, hospitality and respect, and it will never allow people’s skin colour to be exploited for crude propaganda while tarnishing our name.”
The administration is also seeking compensation for any damage to the town’s image and tourism brand. Any sums awarded, the mayor announced, will be donated entirely to the municipal fund supporting rent payments for families facing greater economic hardship.
“I would like to thank the Municipality of Riccione for the trust placed in me with this important assignment,” said lawyer Moreno Maresi. “I will now proceed with a careful review of all the documents and materials available, with the specific aim of assessing and pursuing, through the appropriate channels, the best course of action.”
The matter now rests with the lawyer, who will examine the content and documentation and determine which legal path to pursue to protect the council and Riccione’s tourist image.
