Blu's Mural in Naples Demands Justice for Ugo Russo

Street artist Blu has completed a mural titled "Per Ugo" in Naples' Quartieri Spagnoli, dedicated to Ugo Russo, a 15-year-old killed by an off-duty carabiniere in March 2020. The mural, created with the support of the committee Verità e giustizia per Ugo Russo, depicts a dynamic sequence of images narrating the incident. Russo was shot four times, once in the back of the head, after attempting to rob a Rolex with a toy gun. The initial charge of voluntary manslaughter was dropped, a decision the family's statement criticizes as typical when perpetrators are law enforcement. The mural also references a short story by cartoonist Zerocalcare published on the committee's site. As with many of Blu's works, the mural has been turned into an animated video featuring music by Antonio Raia, Sergio Naddei, and Walter Forestiere. The committee's statement contrasts the city's tourist-friendly facade with the precarious conditions in working-class neighborhoods, marked by lack of services and social spaces. Blu's work directly points to local police forces as responsible for Russo's death.