Angry 'Gladiators' Climb Colosseum In Rome Protest

ROME -- Several Romans dressed as gladiators have climbed the Colosseum to protest a crackdown on their unauthorized business of posing with tourists for money.

Saturday's protest came three days after city police fined the fake gladiators for offering paid services without authorization. They also were ordered to stop their paid posing.

Culture officials contend the fake gladiators ruin the decorum at the ancient archaeological site.

Some tourists gladly pose for a photo, then are dismayed when the costumed men demand money. The fake gladiators insist they perform a popular service and that their costumes evoke the atmosphere of ancient Rome.

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Comments

[ligligl]

02:32 PM on 04/10/2012

We who are about to strike, salute you!

[Jaxxson1]

04:55 PM on 04/09/2012

Are you not entertained..!

[SophiaFiat]

04:41 PM on 04/09/2012

I didn't really care that much about the gladiators taking pictures, but I didn't know about their expecting money after the photo. This should be understood *before* the picture-taking, not after. I thought these guys just did this for the hell of it!

But I do care that those ridiculous signs & banners look like graffiti, defacing the Colosseum. That beautiful arena has managed to stay standing for 2,000 years. If you want to "evoke the atmosphere of ancient Rome", take the stupid signs down.

[rdaem]

04:39 PM on 04/09/2012

We were in Rome last October and saw these guys. They didn't seem out of place or out of order. I didn't know thery were illegal;- I just thought they were part of the whole"atmosphere'.
I say "leave em' alone". If you don't want to pay them for a picture then don't go up to them.
Same for the ladies - if you don't want "groped' don't go up to them or clown around with them ( they are Roman men, you know, and are very forward with the women - very different "manners-wise" from American men when it comes to the ladies).You may not want to hear this and may be offended but I'm simply stating the truth. I know what I saw and experienced. Rome is not New York or Los Angeles. It's Italy. Let the "gladiators" alone.

[minutemaus]

03:10 PM on 04/09/2012

The Hollywood Walk of Fame Police have moved to Rome!

[kmcc895370]

02:54 PM on 04/09/2012

At least it isn't a guy in underwear and a cowboy hat singing country songs! Got one of those in Times Square NYC.

[alexchip192]

02:43 PM on 04/09/2012

These clowns are worse than the sqeegee pests that used to be at every stoplight smearing up your windshield. They ruin your whole visit.

[arnprince]

02:33 PM on 04/09/2012

Well, they should be up front about their fees. That aside, I am sure this all has to do with the "culture officials" not having thought of the idea, and/or not getting a cut of the profits! The smart thing to do is to help them get proper documentation/organization, then market them with increased fees that would pay them better, and increase revenue to preserve the site.

[frackman]

02:28 PM on 04/09/2012

Did you hear about the happy Roman? Gladiator

[kmcc895370]

02:51 PM on 04/09/2012

oh, you dirty dog! ; )

[ligligl]

02:35 PM on 04/10/2012

Boooooo!!

[ahetty2000]

02:19 PM on 04/09/2012

Perhaps we should bring the "games" back. It was a very efficient method of dealing with hardened criminals!!

[im4guanajuato]

01:55 PM on 04/09/2012

If you can get Russell Crowe to pose in his gladiator costume all of us women will line up and pay gladly.

[UNCLESAMSSON]

01:35 PM on 04/09/2012

When we saw the collossum , we saw these guys ....
The were very forward with the females and accually teamed up and groped a laughing women .
While I had some explaining to do to my son about thier behavior , they were fun and made people laugh standing in the HUGE line waiting to enter . A dollar for a laugh now a day seems like a good deal

[forksmt]

12:58 PM on 04/09/2012

These gladiators are fake so do they mean that there are real gladiators in Rome? If they are real then they sould be fighting to the death. In this day and age they are just as real as i would be. I guess the next would be that if darth vader were there for tourist pics the powers that be in Rome would have a problem with that because it takes away from the real Darth Vader. Let a guy make his money.

[Maxedaddy]

12:41 PM on 04/09/2012

How do you say "Useless Schmucks!", in Roman?

[bowup]

12:27 PM on 04/09/2012

arrest them !!!