Rome’s mayor Virginia Raggi has enacted a ban on gladiator characters, forbidding them from hanging out at popular tourist spots where they offer to take photos for cash. The ban also extends to rickshaws.
While the gladiators play a huge role in Rome’s history, the don’t necessarily need to be there still, at least according to the mayor. The city’s goal is to protect the public as well as the “cultural, artistic and monumental heritage.”
There have been reports of rickshaw operators and gladiator characters pickpocketing and overcharging tourists who are visiting the area.
Some other cities in Italy characters and entertainers to work for tips but they must register for their space. Verona is one city that allows this.
Rome has had this ban in effect before, so this was basically a renewal of the one they had in place until November 2015.
