Italian environmental activists colored the basin of Rome’s famous Trevi Fountain black on Sunday (May 21st), saying the death of fourteen people in floods that devastated northeastern Italy was a ‘warning’ in the face of climate change.
Members of the organization Last Generation, which takes action to denounce the inaction of governments in the face of climate change, climbed into the fountain and poured a black liquid made from vegetable charcoal into the water before getting out, escorted by the police. Charcoal “goes easy”, the activists clarified on Instagram, claiming to have taken the action to demand the government “to end public subsidies to fossil fuels”.
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”.
Climate emergency
More than 36,000 people have been displaced following the floods that have affected the region. The equivalent of six months of rain fell in thirty-six hours this week in Emilia-Romagna, causing in this rich agricultural and tourist region the “floods of the century”. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived on Sunday to visit the weather-ravaged scene.
Last Generation began taking action in Italy in 2022 ahead of the general election to call on leaders from all political parties to make the climate emergency their priority. Its activists have multiplied actions across Europe, in particular throwing soup, mashed potatoes or washable paint on the windows protecting famous paintings exhibited in major museums or on cultural heritage sites.