Environmental activists poured black liquid into Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain to protest against Italy’s “inaction” on climate change. Members of the climate activist group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) poured diluted charcoal into the fountain to symbolise the “dark future” they believe the planet faces due to climate change.
The protestors demanded that the government remove subsidies for the fossil fuels sector. They held up banners that read “We won’t pay for fossil fuels” and “Our country is dying.” Police detained the activists about 20 minutes after their demonstration began.
In its previous protests, the group has hurled paint at Milan’s famous La Scala opera house, thrown food over the glass protecting famous paintings, and sprayed orange paint on the facade of the Italian Senate.
Last month, to draw immediate attention to the grave dangers posed by global warming to water supplies and sea levels, The Last Generation poured a dark liquid with vegetable base into another famous 17th-century Roman fountain, Fontana della Barcaccia. The fountain that is shaped like a boat was designed by famous Italian sculptor Pietro Bernini in 1629. The group claimed that the act was done to highlight the dangers that sea levels and water resources face from global warming.
The Last Generation began carrying out peaceful, but disruptive protests in Italy last year ahead of the general election, urging politicians from all parties to make climate change their priority. Activists have thrown soup, cake, mashed potatoes or washable paint at heritage and culture sites and artworks in museums.
