Climate activists pour black liquid into Rome’s Trevi Fountain

Four activists of the Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) group poured charcoal dissolved in water into the famous fountain. They were detained by police

The group said it was protesting against the Italian government for not doing enough to counter global warming

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In an image obtained from social media, climate activists pour vegetable charcoal in the Trevi Fountain water, during a protest against fossil fuels in Rome, Italy on Sunday. Photo: Alessandro Penso / MAPS via Reuters

Published: 3:32am, 22 May 2023

Climate activists of the Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) group tipped black liquid into the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy on Sunday, simultaneously releasing a statement calling for “an immediate end to public subsidies for all fossil fuels.”

Four activists took part in the protest, pouring charcoal dissolved in water into the famous fountain and holding up banners. Police detained them and took them away.

Climate activists hold a banner after pouring charcoal in the Trevi Fountain water in Rome, Italy on Sunday. Photo: Alessandro Penso / MAPS via Reuters

The group said it was protesting against the Italian government for not doing enough to counter global warming.

Government inaction was “the cause of the climate crisis that has struck Emilia-Romagna and Marche over recent days,” the group said in reference to the flash floods that hit the two Italian regions and caused the deaths of at least 14 people.

The Trevi Fountain is the largest in Rome, one of the best known in the world and a major tourist attraction.

The activists have in the past targeted other fountains in the Italian capital, pouring black liquid into a fountain near the Spanish Steps, another famous tourist attraction.