Around 2,000 residents took part in the protest to demonstrate their discontent with the effect of mass tourism on locals’ lives.
People carried placards in St Mark's Square which read “Mi no vado via”, meaning “I'm not leaving” in the local dialect, vowing not to join the residents' exodus despite the swelling tourist numbers.
According to The Local, the number of permanent residents in Venice is approaching a low of 50,000, half the figure of 40 years ago and less than the number of tourists who inundate the city on a daily basis.
The decline of the city’s population means hotels and Airbnb rentals have taken over housing and public buildings.
The demonstrators raised issues such as housing affordability and convenience stores being replaced by tourist shops.
Venice’s Regional Secretary of Heritage and Tourism, Renata Codello, on Monday proposed an "intelligent" limit on access to St Mark's Square and a special tax on B&B clients.
"The relationship between residents and tourists is a problem, but the city is reacting,” she added.
With ANSA
