Protesters in Venice took to the water yesterday to block cruise ships from passing through the Venice Lagoon, using gondolas and small boats. About 2000 took part.
The protesters are concerned over two issues: the effect on the lagoon of having huge ships passing through, and the effect on Venice of having up to 30,000 cruise passengers a day coming to the city. On a summer day, the number of visitors frequently exceeds the number of residents.
The environmental concern involved the effect on both the marine life in the shallow lagoon and the effects on the fragile infrastructure of the city itself, which rests on small islands stiffened with long (and ancient) wooden poles driven through them.
In previous protests, hundreds of swimmers have gone into the Guidecca canal to block the ships. For more information from The Telegraph (UK) click HERE
Good for them. I approve wholeheartedly of the people taking charge when their government has failed to protect them.There’s a cruise ship ad running, possibly Viking, advertising their bigger (non-river) cruise ships. It shows a giant ship passing by the end of a small Venice canal, dwarfing the ancient buildings as it glides past. I’m astonished every time I see it, that this is an image that they believe will convince me to buy one of their cruises, seemingly oblivious to the fact that some of us would sink the ship before we’d pay money to vacation on it. Rampant ignorance.
A bit of Civil Disorder is always a good reminder to the Government that it is not in control of public opinion.
And no one got shot.