A city in Massachusetts unexpectedly erased Italian colors from its streets ahead of an upcoming cultural festival, as local reports indicate that residents took matters into their own hands by illegally spray painting the pavement.
The red, green, and white stripes, which represent the Italian flag, have adorned Adams Street in Newton’s non-antum district since 1935, and have traditionally been repainted annually for the festival.
The distinctive lines were replaced overnight with standard double yellow lines on June 26, according to reports.
Costanzo Mankorn, a local resident, expressed his dismay, saying, “This is what my parents grew up with. They came from Italy, and when they arrived here, they felt this was home. Now they’re taking this away.”
Newton’s Mayor, Lutanne Fuller, defended the decision, citing safety as a priority. A traffic study conducted in 2024 identified this area as one of the top five spots for accidents.
Despite the mayor’s reasoning, local residents—many of whom have Italian heritage—decided to take action. Reports indicate that by the conclusion of the town’s 90th Italian-American Festival, locals had redisguised most centerlines in the colors of the Italian flag.
Resident Mike Callahan suggested the city could have waited until after the festival, noting, “The festival is only five days long. We managed to repaint everything by July 21. There was no reason to act on this now.”
Amid the tensions, a 54-year-old individual was temporarily detained for attempting to paint over the revitalized green, white, and red lines, according to police.
The St. Mary of the Carmen Association, which organizes the festival, voiced their frustration, stating they were not informed about the overnight removal of the lines.
In a statement, the association characterized those lines as more than mere paint, but as “sacred symbols of Italian-American pride, religious traditions, and community identity,” adding that the sudden removal felt like “a slap in the face.”
