The group of about ten people entered the basin of the world-famous fountain, holding a banner that read “We will not pay for fossil fuels” – a reference to the campaign to end fossil fuel subsidies.
“Our country is dying,” shouted the activists, who were insulted and insulted by tourists and passers-by before local police intervened. The protest followed several similar actions in Italy in recent weeks to draw attention to the climate crisis.
Mayor criticizes “absurd attack”
Roman mayor Roberto Gualtieri sharply criticized the activists. He spoke of “absurd attacks” on the city’s monuments. “Climate activists should look for forms of dialogue that don’t jeopardize art heritage,” Gualtieri said. The mayor criticized that 300,000 liters of water will cost to clean up the distillery, which means a significant waste of water. He ruled out that there was damage to the fountain’s marble.
At the beginning of May, activists from the “Ultima Generazione” climate group poured a black liquid into the Bernini Fountain on Piazza Navona in the heart of Rome. They wanted to “set an example for the black future that awaits mankind,” they said. When the police arrived, the four activists were taken away, Italian media reported.
Three young activists poured the same liquid into the so-called Barcaccia fountain at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome in April. They had also smeared paint on the facade of the Senate beforehand.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet passed a decree in April that provides for the payment of damages of 10,000 to 60,000 euros and “criminal sanctions” for those who “destroy, soil or deface” cultural assets. In the northern Italian city of Padua, members of the climate protection movement are being investigated for “criminal conspiracy”. The group has been responsible for roadblocks and defacing of private and historic buildings since 2020.
