They blocked the procession, accompanied by knights and folk groups, from passing, in protest against the route chosen by the parish priest.
In Macomer, about fifty people staged a sensational protest that could lead to criminal prosecution, since impeding or blocking the passage of a religious procession in a public place constitutes the crime of disrupting religious services. It happened this morning, on the feast day in honor of the patron saint, San Pantaleo .
The procession departed regularly from the church and followed the route previously established by the parish priest , Father Andrea Rossi , and approved by the Prefecture. This shortened route allowed participants to avoid the heat.
Everything seemed to be proceeding normally. However, in the center of town, along Corso Umberto, about fifty people stood in the middle of the street, blocking the designated passage . Negotiations ensued, and even the intervention of the police, who attempted to convince the protesters to allow passage. This was unsuccessful. In fact, the procession remained blocked for over an hour and a half. Finally, to avoid disruption, the procession continued along the route the protesters had chosen. This was an unprecedented act that could have resulted in unrest.
