Tourists in Rome were surprised to see the famous Trevi Fountain colored black. Environmental activists have indeed made up the basin of this famous monument of the Italian capital. They claim that this action is a “warning” of climate change. They blame climate change for the floods that killed 14 people in Italy.
Activists from the organization Last Generation, which takes action to denounce government inaction in the face of climate change, climbed into the fountain and poured a black vegetable-based liquid into the water before out, escorted by the police. “Our country is dying!” cried the activists, to the applause or the boos of the tourists massed around the emblematic fountain.
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Police confiscated protesters’ banners denouncing government-subsidized fossil fuels. More than 36,000 people have been displaced following the floods affecting the Emilia-Romagna region. The equivalent of six months of rainfall fell in 36 hours, causing the “floods of the century” in this rich agricultural and tourist region. Mattia, 19, who did not wish to give her last name, took part in this action “because the terrible tragedy that has occurred in recent days in Emilia-Romagna is a warning foreshadowing the black future that awaits humanity”.
Last Generation began taking action in Italy in 2022 ahead of the general election to call on leaders from all political parties to prioritize the climate emergency. Last Generation activists have multiplied actions across Europe, including throwing soup, mashed potatoes or washable paint on the windows protecting famous paintings exhibited in major museums or on heritage sites cultural.
The Trevi Fountain is most famous for an anthology scene from Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, which shows Swedish actress Anita Ekberg bathing there in full evening dress. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Emilia-Romagna on Sunday to visit the places ravaged by bad weather.
