Climate Activists Blacken Trevi Fountain over Italy Floods
Activists poured charcoal into the waters of Rome's most famous fountain, calling for action against climate change.
Activists poured charcoal into the waters of Rome's most famous fountain, calling for action against climate change. Rome's mayor condemned the "absurd attacks."Climate activists in Italy blackened on Sunday Rome's famed Trevi Fountain (also known as Fontana Di Trevi) with charcoal, calling for an immediate halt to public subsidies to fossil fuels. They said the climate crisis is the reason for the latest flash floods in the country.
The floods in the region of Emilia-Romagna in the northeast of Italy have thus far killed 14 people, devastating much of the hit area.
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Italy's Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) climate group said they poured charcoal diluted with water into the fountain.
Italian police intervened soon afterwards, taking the activists away.
The 18th-century fountain in Rome attracts millions of tourists annually.
What is behind the fountain attack?
The Ultima Generazione group posted photos of the blackened waters of the fountain on Twitter, showing protesters inside the water holding banners against fossil fuels. It said that one of every four houses in Italy was vulnerable to floods, asking: "How much longer do we have to wait for those in government to take concrete action?"
Climate activists have recently been orchestrating several peaceful yet disruptive protests across Europe. Protests usually target cultural sites and museum artworks, attempting to raise climate awareness.
Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri condemned the group's latest protest on Sunday. He said in a tweet that 300,000 liters of water would be wasted to clean the fountain.
"Enough of these absurd attacks on our artistic heritage," he wrote.
rmt/dj (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 21, 2023 11:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).