Activists pour liquid into fountains in Piazza Navona in Rome

Four climate activists climbed into a fountain in Rome’s famous Piazza Navona this weekend and dumped black liquid into the water. The members of the group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) wanted to protest against environmental policies on Saturday and draw attention to the dangers of drought, drought and flooding. “Our future is as black as this water,” the activists said in a statement. They were arrested and taken away by the police.

Italy was hit by a severe drought in 2022 and fears similar conditions this summer. At the same time, after short periods of heavy rainfall, there were recently floods in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, resulting in deaths and injuries.

The black liquid was a mixture of charcoal, he said. The activists held a similar protest earlier in April at another fountain in Rome, below the Spanish Steps, which are popular with tourists.

Politicians criticized – as they did then – the action in the Fontana di Fiumi, the Fountain of the Four Rivers, in the middle of Piazza Navona in the historic center. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri spoke of a “pointless defilement” and said: “The right fights go wrong when they harm public goods.” Gualtieri later said that according to experts, the well would not sustain permanent damage.

The building was built by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, one of the most important sculptors in Italy, in the 17th century and is considered a Baroque masterpiece. (sda/dpa)