NEW YEAR’S EVE IN ST MARK’S SQUARE FINALLY WITHOUT VANDALISM

Sixty thousand people chose to see in the new year from St Mark’s Square and the Riva degli Schiavoni. Compared to previous years, the idea of ‘moving’ the fireworks to the Riva degli Schiavoni to prevent the Square from being chaotically invaded by thousands of celebrating and often tipsy people worked. A few people unwell, some injuries but nothing serious and the Square was not the object, as noted by the police, of any act of vandalism. The fireworks in St Mark’s Basin charmingly coloured the lagoon winning the applause of the crowd, who after the show left the St Mark’s area in orderly fashion creating only some crowding in the Mercerie, though this was in any case well managed by the local police.