Climate activists dye Venice canal green – 12/09/2023 – World

Italian environmentalists used dye to dye Venice’s Grand Canal green this Saturday (9), in protest against what they considered a lack of progress at COP28, the UN Conference on Climate Change taking place in Dubai until next Tuesday (12).

Hanging from the Rialto Bridge over the canal with the help of climbing ropes, activists from the group Extinction Rebellion also displayed a banner that read: “COP28: While the government speaks, we are hanging by a thread.”

Small stretches of rivers and canals in other Italian cities were also dyed green in similar protests. “Within a few hours, these waters will return to what they were before,” the group said in a statement. “Meanwhile, we count the damage and victims of the constant flooding and fires.”

According to protesters, the visual effect was created by a dye used by companies to track items in water. Boat traffic was halted during the protest, and the water in the canal and columns had to be checked for safety reasons, according to Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro.

The politician criticized the action of the activists, who he called “ecovandals”, and called on the Italian authorities to punish them. “Venice is a fragile city, which must be loved and respected! Enough is enough,” he said.

Brugnaro borrowed the nickname given to the protesters from figures such as the current Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano. The head of the department is waging a crusade against protests by environmentalists who target monuments and works of art — acts that have become more common in recent years.

In April, the government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a bill that provides for stricter fines, between €10,000 and €60,000 (R$53,000 and R$317,000), for those who destroy, stain or disfigures, in whole or in part, cultural and scenic assets.

The measures were added to sanctions already present in the criminal code for this type of crime, which currently reach five years in prison and a fine of €15,000 (R$79,000). “Whoever damages our artistic heritage cannot and should not get away with it,” said the ultra-rightist on social media at the time.