Cruise ships and canals don't mix?

摘要

A row in Venice over cruise ships that use the city's canals intensified in November 2012, when supporters rallied to defend tourism while opponents said the ships were turning the area into Disneyland. Two cruise ships a day usually sail down Venice's narrow Ciudecca canal, offering passengers spectacular views over St Marks Square but, according to protesters, polluting the delicate eco-system of the lagoon and shaking the city's foundations. Local demonstrators who took to the Ciudecca canal in small boats in September 2012 were confronted by a heavy police presence and a police helicopter.