Protestors disrupt work on Venice flood barriers

Protesters today disrupted work and damaged machinery at the construction site where massive flood barriers are being built to protect Venice from its notorious high tides, officials said.

About 200 “No-Global” demonstrators, who have been holding daily protests during the Venice Film Festival, entered the construction site off Venice’s Lido carrying banners that read “Stop the ecomonster”.

Some environmentalists have protested at the plans, approved by the government in 2003, to build a €3.4bn flood barrier to ease the effect of high tides that routinely deluge the city.

Dubbed “Moses,” after the Biblical figure who parted the Red Sea, the project calls for hinged barriers to be built in the seabed just off Venice. These would be raised when high tides threaten the city.

Some environmentalists say the project will turn Venice into a stagnant pond while supporters say it is necessary to help prevent the sinking city from being inundated even further.

Work had to stop because of today’s protest and there was damage to machinery, including electric and hydraulic systems, said the New Venice Consortium, the government agency created to oversee the project.

Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari has suggested reopening the debate on the project, which has received renewed attention following the devastating flooding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.