A gang of activists known as the ‘Robin Hood band’ are attacking properties in a controversial protest against the spread of short-term rentals.
The vigilante group, which takes its name from the legendary figure who stole from the rich to give to the poor, are fighting against overtourism in major Italian cities including Rome, Florence and Venice.
They argue that platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo are destroying the fabric of local communities, deepening Italy’s housing crisis by driving up rents and pushing residents out in favour of visitors.
One tactic, widely documented on Italian social media, involves sabotaging the lock boxes that hold the keys to B&Bs, preventing tourists from accessing their accommodation.
The saboteurs leave behind Robin Hood-style hats and letters describing their vandalism as attacks on the rich, a nod to increasing anti-establishment activism around the world.
While the disruption has divided opinion, with many condemning the targeting of tourists and private property, the Robin Hood protests expose the dark side of tourism in one of Europe’s most popular countries.
The demonstrations recently hit Bologna, where the window of the tourist office on Via Guerrazzi was scrawled with the words: ‘Stop Airbnb! Robin Hood.’
A letter pinned to the wall beside the message said: ‘If Bologna is not overtouristed like other European cities, it is still not livable. It is still the second most expensive city in Italy. And so we must continue to strike those who deface wealth in the face of other people.’
The group has targeted several major tourist hubs, including Turin, Palermo and Naples, damaging the padlocks which are a hallmark of properties rented out online.
Last week, a poster was found on a gate near Rome’s Colosseum with instructions on how to join the movement.
According to Bologna Today, the letter read: ‘The padlocks that we sabotage are nothing more than one of the symptoms of a tourism business that has degenerated on all fronts.
What do people think of the Robin Hood protests?
After videos of the Robin Hood protests were posted on Instagram by Italian news company VD News, people were quick to share their opinions, both in support and against the group’s actions.
FOR:
- ‘I disagree with these acts. But I am aware that the housing emergency exists, and the State does nothing to cure the problems of hyper-tourism and the abandonment of cities by citizens.’
- ‘It always ends up like this: if the state is not doing something, people start to take justice into their own hands, in the way they can, whether it is legal or not. It would be nice to have a state that protects it in a regulated manner, but we don’t have this luxury in Italy.’
- ‘Those who don’t understand [these activists] don’t know the pain of having a job but still being forced to live with your parents because you can’t pay 700 euros per month rent.’
AGAINST:
- ‘Stupidity mixed with vandalism. I would also add the ignorance of not understanding what we need to ‘fight’ against. The right to a house is not guaranteed by another citizen, whose house may be made for sacrifices, makes choices for a thousand different reasons, and pays taxes and expenses. It’s the same wrong speech of someone who occupies someone else’s house because they don’t have one from the State.’
- ‘Doing this only penalises people who work honestly and in accordance with the law. You need to hit the state, not the people.’
- ‘You are the same people who go on holiday looking for accommodation for the lowest possible price. Ridiculous vandals.’
- ‘These are criminals committing crimes. Private property is sacred.’
‘This is why we continue to sabotage the padlocks just as we will continue to sabotage all the other symptoms of the right to housing denied in Italy.’
The note encourages people to buy glue, then sabotage the locks by ‘blocking their functioning’, before leaving behind a Robin Hood symbol such as a hat or a feather.
The protests are believed to have started in Rome last year. According to La Repubblica, vandalism took place in Via di San Teodoro, between the Circus Maximus and the Palatine Hill, the ancient heart of the capital.
A note left at the scene read: ‘If you are looking for the key safes and can’t find them, read this.
‘We are rebelling. We have removed these key storage boxes to denounce the sell-out of the city to short-stay holidays which alienate locals and leave residents out on the streets.’
Demonstrators claimed rents had risen ‘exponentially’ in recent years and called on Rome’s mayor, Robert Gualtieri, to set a ‘maximum threshold’ for properties used as short-term rentals.
The price of tourism in Rome
Italy has welcomed a growing number of visitors in recent years. Rome, in particular, saw the highest growth of foreign arrivals in 2024, with 5% more visitors than in 2023.
This year, Rome and the Vatican City will host its Jubilee or ‘Holy Year’ with a series of celebrations, which is expected to attract some 35 million visitors.
However, the Robin Hood-esque protestors have shown contempt for the events ahead. ‘This is only our first action against the Holy Year of the rich,’ their letters stated.
To Rome or not to Rome?
As part of our round up on unmissable destinations for 2025, Metro gave you the lowdown on places to avoid. The list includes hotspots hitting back against overtourism and resorts on the frontline of the climate crisis.
We noted that Rome will be exceptionally busy in 2025, as it marks the Holy Year of Jubilee. The Italian capital is tipped to become the epicentre of a global pilgrimage, with more than 35 million people expected to flock to it over the course of the year.
Last year, Venice introduced a ‘tourist tax’ requiring short-stay visitors to pay a €5 ‘entrance fee’.
Simone Venturini, the city councillor responsible for tourism and social cohesion, said the system would help find ‘a new balance’ between residents and day-trippers.
However, after it was announced, residents protested with many arguing it would do nothing to combat over-tourism. Some said they didn’t want to live in a ‘theme park’.
The Italian demonstrations follow a wider backlash against tourists across Europe.
In October last year, thousands took to the streets of Madrid to protest extortionate house prices and the impact of holiday rental sites.
Barcelona has also seen numerous demonstrations. In the summer, protestors armed with water pistols demanded ‘tourists go home’, while tens of thousands protested in the city in November demanding lower house prices.
Winter holiday destinations have also been hit. Last month protests were held in Rovaniemi, Finland, or the ‘official home of Santa Claus’, which sits on the edge of the Arctic Circle.
Participants demanded that the government create rules for short-term rentals, as the small city – with a population of just 65,000 – struggles with the challenges brought by overtourism.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.