Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been banned from Venice for two days and fined $172 after participating in Extinction Rebellion’s action of dyeing the Grand Canal green. The protest, part of coordinated demonstrations in 10 Italian cities, aimed to draw attention to climate collapse and rising sea levels threatening Venice. Thunberg’s protest coincided with the conclusion of COP30 in Brazil, where Extinction Rebellion criticized Italy’s climate policies.
Extinction Rebellion stated that the dye used in the protest was a non-toxic fluorescent tracer commonly used in environmental studies, claiming it posed no ecological threat. The group argued that the stunt was intended to highlight the significant effects of climate collapse, emphasizing Venice’s vulnerability due to rising sea levels and frequent flooding. The action included dyeing fountains in Genoa and Padova and turning rivers green in Turin, Bologna, and Taranto.
The Veneto Province Governor, Luca Zaia, criticized the protest as a gesture that risks environmental consequences and as a disrespectful act towards Venice’s history and fragility. Meanwhile, Extinction Rebellion also criticized the Italian government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for resisting stronger climate measures at the Brazilian COP30 event. The group’s banner