Venice: self-directed referendum on big ships kicks off

A referendum run by the No Grandi Navi Committee and other associations (obviously without any legal value) is being held in Venice today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to find out what citizens think about the “big ships in St. Mark’s basin” issue. Although the so-called referendum is not legally recognized, it is nonetheless a useful test case to gauge popular will on along-standing issue on which politics will have to decide (political forces, in fact, have also been invited to participate). So today, until 6 p.m., citizens of Venice will be able to go to the various gazebos scattered throughout the city’s sestieri and two mainland municipalities (Mira and Chioggia). Once voting is over, at 6 p.m., there will be live counting of ballots in Campo Santa Margherita, which is expected to last until 9 p.m.: this will be followed by a concert by Pharmakos, a local band.

The question that “voters” will find on the ballot is worded as follows: “Do you want the large cruise ships to stay out of the Venice Lagoon and no new excavations to be made within the Lagoon itself?” The organizing committees have set no age limit for voting. Voting is possible in Dorsoduro (Zattere, Santa Marta, San Basilio, Ca’ Bembo, San Barnaba and Campo Santa Margherita, at the latter gazebo from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.), Santa Croce-San Polo (Piazzale Roma, Tolentini, Frari, San Cassiano, Campo San Polo, San Giacomo, Erberia - Ruga Rialto, San Tomà), Cannaregio (Ferrovia, Ponte del Ghetto Fondamenta Ormesini, Fondamenta Misericordia, Santi Apostoli, Strada Nova - Rio Terà San Leonardo, Fondamenta Nuove, Campo Gesuiti), Giudecca (Sacca Fisola, Palanca, Zitelle, Redentore), Castello (Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Santa Maria Formosa, Bragora, Via Garibaldi, Giardini-Biennale, Sant’Elena), Lido (Santa Maria Elisabetta, Blue Moon, Alberoni-Bar Spiaggia), Marghera (Town Hall Square, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), Mestre (Piazzetta Pellicani from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bissuola Park, San Giuliano Park, Forte Marghera), Chioggia (Town Hall Square), Mira (Daedalus Center).

Already high turnout: the No Grandi Navi Committee, on its Facebook page, posts live images.

Photo Credit: VVox

Venice: self-directed referendum on big ships kicks off

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