Volunteers from the volunteer association Pro Loco of Robbiate were forced to take down the nativity installation prematurely due to repeated vandalism. Vandalism included detaching wooden planks from the hut, dismantling pieces of the roof, and throwing away ornaments and furnishings. The display was dismantled on December 29th instead of January 6th.
In a post on Facebook the association wrote: “It ended early this morning!!!!!!! Dismantling the crib early!!!!!! In Robbiate. This was due to a gang of punks with no values or dignity... An investigation for repeated acts of vandalism has been opened. Films and reports will be viewed in collaboration with the Carabinieri of Merate and the Robbiate Municipal Police. All the reports of the gang and those present before and after will be reported in a single report."