VATICAN CITY: An Italian businessman who climbed onto the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome to protest against plans to open up the country’s seafront business sector to more competition came down on Wednesday after a 24-hour protest. Marcello Di Finizio, sometime owner of a business that rents out umbrellas and lounge chairs to sunbathers, leaped over railings near the top of the 137 meter high dome on Tuesday afternoon before abseiling down to a ledge over a window in the cupola. He then unfurled a hand painted sign reading: “Help! Enough with (Prime Minister Mario) Monti, Enough with Europe, Enough with Multinationals!” After coming down on Wednesday he said he would shortly hold a meet- ing with Tourism Minister Piero Gnudi to discuss the reason for his protest — anger at European Union rules that mean existing concessions to manage stretches of beachfront in Italy will be auc- tioned off from 2016. “I really hope it’s over now and we can start again with our small firms and get the economy started again,” he told reporters and a small crowd of supporters. “Something which has really struck me throughout this whole carry on is that I’ve asked for a meeting with the minister very politely many times and I’ve always run into a rubber wall,” he said.
Protester climbs down from Basilica in Rome
