Rome mayor blames climate activists for turning Trevi Fountain water black with charcoal, causing environmental damage.

Climate Activists Turn Trevi Fountain Water Black in Protest Against Fossil Fuels

Protesters Pour Diluted Charcoal into the Fountain

In a dramatic protest against public funding for fossil fuels, climate eco-anarchists in Rome turned the Trevi Fountain water black on Sunday. Protesters from the “Ultima Generazione” (the Last Generation) climbed into the 18th-century fountain with banners denouncing fossil fuels and mixed diluted charcoal into the water. They shouted, “Our country is dying” as they did so.

Protesters Demand End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies

The protesters linked themselves to the “LET’S NOT PAY FOR FOSSIL” campaign, which calls on the Italian government to stop public subsidies to all fossil fuels immediately. The group believes that fossil fuels caused a recent deadly flood in Emilia Romagna and the Marches, which claimed 14 lives, forced 10,000 people to abandon their homes, and left over 30,000 residents without electricity.

Local Authorities Intervene

Within minutes of the demonstration, local authorities intervened and dragged the protesters out of the fountain while hundreds of people visiting the landmark watched.

Rome Mayor Applauds Authorities

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri applauded Rome Capital Police authorities in a Facebook post for stopping the activists and likely avoiding any permanent damage to the fountain’s porous marble. He called on the climate protestors to stop such “absurd” attacks on the nation’s artistic heritage in a tweet.

Protesters Risk Damage to Precious Monuments

Gualtieri said the “indifferent environmental damage” caused by activists has prompted the fountain to undergo a complex and costly cleaning operation that could result in waste of 300,000 liters of water to empty and refill the pool again, which functions to recycle water. He added that such gestures are completely wrong and damaging, as they risk damaging precious common goods such as monuments and force public administrations into very expensive and environmentally impactful restoration interventions.

Last Generation Demands Action on Climate Change

Last Generation began protesting in Italy last year before the general election, demanding lawmakers make climate change their priority. The group tweeted, “1 out of 4 houses in Italy is vulnerable to floods. How much longer do we have to wait for those in government to take concrete action?”