Venetians have been protesting with shopping trolleys and buggies against the hoards of tourists who visit the city every year, dailymail.co.uk reports
Fed up with having to battle the crowds of visitors while going about their everyday business, as well as rising rent costs and loss of local businesses, residents organised the rally to argue against the effect of mass tourism.
Up to 60,000 people visit Venice on a daily basis, many of whom stay outside the city.
The locals have argued that the short nature of the visits means that businesses don’t get the benefit of the tourism.
They want to attract holidaymakers who stay for four to five days instead, so that restaurants and hotels can gain financially from the visits.
The residents were also complaining about the effect of the busy crowds on their ability to get around their home town, particularly when pushing buggies or carrying home groceries in shopping trolleys.
Around 500 protesters took placards and banners to the central square in an event organised by a movement called Generation 90.
Damage on the economy
But as well as anger at the crowded streets, residents are also concerned about the damage the huge levels of tourism are having on the economy.
They claim that local businesses are being pushed out of the city by more and more shops selling tacky souvenirs and that rising rents are making it impossible to afford a place to live.
It is estimated that there are now just 55,000 people living in Venice – less than the number of tourists who visit daily in the height of the summer.
On its Facebook page, Generation 90 has called on locals to act now or see their hometown irreversibly damaged by tourism.
In an open letter, it said: ‘We may be the last generation to live in Venice as a real city, where to find a house and a job, or going about our daily lives on the streets were normal things, not the actions of superheroes.
‘Now let’s be clear: we’re not nostalgic, we’re p***** off. But we’re also realistic and determined to give all so that this town, our town, does not decay permanently.
‘The young people who want to stay in or move to Venice and the islands must be able to plan their future.
‘They must be able to find a reasonable rent, a job that will allow them to deal with the mortgage payments without anxiety at the end of the month, and have access to the services that every normal city offers to its residents.
‘If you don’t act now, the decline will be relentless, resulting in certain death.
‘We don’t want a city of tourists, which they empty from every night, we want a city that you breathe.’
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