Souvenir vendors scale Colosseum

Forget tired tales about lions and gladiators. A modern-day battle between souvenir hawkers and Rome's mayor gripped tourists at the Colosseum yesterday.

A pair of unlicensed street vendors climbed to the second storey of the 2,000-year-old arena to protest against city plans to bar them from selling watercolour prints there, witnesses said. The protestors say they will hold their ground until Mayor Walter Veltroni gives them permits to sell their wares legally.

Fire brigades dragged a giant inflatable crash-mat outside the arena where early Christians were put to death and Romans staged battle games.

"Veltroni, help us work, not die," read a banner hung by the protesters around ten metres above the ground. Another complained about "promises made, but never kept."

Down below, fellow souvenir vendors who have also been banned gathered to support the protest and accused Rome city officials of going back on past promises to issue permits. "After a hundred promises we were told to go to hell. This time, we can die up there, but we will not come down," said street vendor Rossana Moscato.

Tourists who were prevented from buying the watercolours snapped pictures of the protest to take home instead.