PiCAS INTERNATIONAL

For generations people have associated St Mark’s Square in Venice with pigeons. Tourists and residents alike have enjoyed the simple pleasure of feeding and interacting with pigeons. Not for much longer. Mayor Massimo Cacciari is set to outlaw all feeding of pigeons in St Mark’s Square, and even the tradition of throwing rice after wedding ceremonies at the nearby Palazzo Cavalli, as of May 1st.

Reports suggest that Mayor Cacciari, not satisfied with starving thousands of semi-domesticated pigeons to death, has ordered cage trapping and killing operations in a further attempt to reduce numbers. Pigeons that are caught in commercially laid traps will normally have their necks broken or be gassed. It seems that Mayor Cacciari is following in the footsteps of Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, who starved several thousand tame pigeons to death in Trafalgar Square, London during the winter of 2000/2001. In PiCAS’ opinion, Mayor Livingstone deliberately outlawed pigeon feeding in Trafalgar Square at the start of winter to ensure that the maximum numbers of pigeons died of hypothermia induced by starvation. When pigeons were not found to die in sufficiently high numbers, or quickly enough, Mayor Livingstone ordered falconers to patrol the Square and use hawks attack any pigeon that tried to feed - pigeons were seen being ripped apart whilst still alive and, incredibly, this was done in front of horrified onlookers including children, tourists and Londoners alike. These appalling acts of cruelty and barbarism on the part of Mayor Livingstone has earned him the reputation of being one of the most notorious, cold-blooded and hated animal killers in modern times, certainly by animal groups. We can only hope that Mayor Cacciari does not stoop to similar levels.

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