Activist Greta Thunberg was temporarily banned from Venice, Italy, after she and around 35 members of the environmental group Extinction Rebellion turned the Grand Canal lime green on Monday. The protest aimed to highlight the slow global progress on reducing fossil fuel use and to push governments to take stronger climate action.
The group used a non-toxic fluorescent dye to color the canal water green, one of several similar demonstrations Extinction Rebellion has carried out in 10 Italian cities. In addition, Thunberg and fellow activists staged a symbolic display on the Rialto Bridge, holding a banner that read “Stop Ecocide” while wearing red clothing and veils in a “mock funeral” to mourn government inaction on environmental issues.
An Extinction Rebellion statement explained the symbolism, saying the green waters represent the contamination caused by industries supported by governments, warning that current climate policies are steering the world toward environmental collapse.
As a result of the protest, Thunberg and the 35 activists received a 48-hour ban from Venice and a fine of $174 each. Luca Zaia, the governor of the region, criticized the protest as “a disrespectful act towards our city, its history and its fragility,” reflecting local concerns about preserving Venice’s cultural and environmental heritage.
