VENICE -- An environmental demonstration has led to increased security in the area where Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and French President François Hollande were meeting in Venice on Tuesday, with police using water jets to disperse protestors' boats in the Venice Lagoon and protestors responding with smoke bombs.

 Demonstrators from the movements NoTAV (who are against the high-speed rail between Turin and Lyon, due to the huge environmental, economic and social impact it would have on the Piedmont region), NoTrivelle (who are against drilling for oil in the Adriatic) and NoGrandiNavi (protesting against the environmental impact of large ships and cruise liners that put into port in the Venice area) have lined five km (three miles) of streets around the area that the meeting was taking place as well as taking to the water with boats in the lagoon.

 Some of those in boats tried to breach the 'red zone' set out by authorities who responded by driving them back with water cannons.  The protestors then responded by launching red smoke cannons into the air from the boats.  The police force did not try to quell the planned peaceful protest that had been scheduled to happen in St Mark's Square, but just to stick to the itinerary of keeping protestors out of the marked 'red zone' around Renzi and Hollande's meeting place, in the area near Palazzo Ducale.

 It was concluded that the red smoke bombs and banners bearing slogans such as "The court of the people condemns the system of unnecessary big works that use our taxes" had driven the demonstration to become more active.

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