Hundreds of people gathered ashore and small boats with flapping flags reading “No Big Ships” surrounded and followed the 92,000-ton MSC orchestra as it left the port of Venice en route to Croatia and Greece. “We are here because we are against this passage, but also against a tourism model that is destroying the city, displacing its inhabitants, destroying the planet and cities and polluting the environment,” said Marta Sottoriva, a 29-year-old teacher and Venice Residents.
Port authorities, workers and the city government, however, welcomed the departure of the orchestra operated by MSC Cruises and saw it as a symbol of the start of business in the wake of the health crisis that has hit the cruise industry and the entire travel sector hard.
Video transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[HONKING]
[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]
[SPEAKING ITALIAN]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[SPAKING ITALIAN]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
