Clashes between police and protesters in Venice over the tourist entrance fee – World

There were clashes with the police in Venice after protesters spoke out against the introduction of a tourist tax to access the Italian cityreported CBS.

Part of the the demonstrators tried to break through the police cordon in the square area Piazzale Roma and to enter the historical part of Venice. Others carried placards with inscriptions “Venice is not sold, but defended” and “No to the tax, Yes to homes and services for all”.

Venice became the first city in the world to introduce tourist tax, kwho visit it, reports CBS. From today they pay a fee of 5 euros. It is paid to visit the city between 08:30 and 16:00 The fee does not apply to residents of the Veneto region, to people who work, study or were born in Venice, as well as to tourists who have booked overnight stays in the city. Children under 14 also do not pay the tourist tax.

Tourists with overnight reservations in Venice will need to present a special QR on their smartphones code of the officials who collect the entrance fees. For those who do not own smartphones, there are special ones stands with representatives of the municipal authorities, to whom they can prove that they have the right to free access to the city, according to Reuters.

Tourists who owe the €5 fee and do not pay it may be fined with between 50 and 300 euros.

Initially, the fee will be collected on a trial basis until May 5, and then almost every weekend until mid-July. A decision will be made by the end of the year whether the new measure will become permanent.

The trial initiative is an attempt to discourage tourists visiting the city for just one day at peak times.

The historic center of Venice with the famous square San Marco, Rialto Bridge and numerous canals now has fewer than 50,000 permanent residents, and in high season sometimes more than twice as many tourists daily.

According to estimates, last year the city was visited by approx 15 million people.

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