(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 13 - The Save Florence activist group campaigning against over-tourism and building speculation in the Tuscan capital on Wednesday staged a flashmob against a summit of Group of Seven tourism ministers being held there.
    Wearing helmets and throwing smoke bombs, the group displayed banners reading 'Ongoing speculation' and 'Florence is dying of wild tourism and speculation''.
    "It's our non-welcome to the seven greats of the planet", said the organizers.
    "We know well in Florence the effects of tourism as a driver of economic growth. Overtourism has led to an uncontrolled expansion of short-term rentals, the surge in real estate and rental costs, the sell-off of public assets", said Chiara Giunti, a member of the organising committee.
    The banner 'Speculation in progress' will accompany other initiatives of Salviamo Firenze per viverci (Let's Save Florence To Live There) after a "blitz" at the weekend when campaigners put stickers on the keyboxes of the apartments intended for tourist rentals.
    "These stickers have worked miracles, and what had been at a standstill for years has had a huge acceleration", said Massimo Torelli, in reference to a resolution of the city council at Palazzo Vecchio council that on Tuesday banned keyboxes on the facades of buildings in the central UNESCO listed area.
    "However, they have not understood that there is not only a UNESCO area (to be protected) and then the rest of Florence (that is not to be safeguarded).
    "These restrictions must apply to the entire city. "The paradigm must change, Florence cannot support this flow of tourists and the real estate speculation that former mayor (Dario) Nardella has attracted to this city in the last decade.
    "Every city," concluded Torelli in reply to Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè who defined overtourism as a 'non-problem', "must be able to support a tolerable number of tourists along with residents and those who work there". (ANSA).