"Enough is enough" says Venice mayor.

A group of climate activists on Thursday splattered mud onto the façade of St Mark's Basilica in Venice as part of a protest they termed "a fire alarm".

The protestors used fire extinguishers to spray liquid mud on the 11th-century landmark, shouted slogans calling for action to tackle the climate crisis before being taken away by police.

"Venice will soon be under water, there will no longer be any of this. It will be covered in mud and we will die" - shouted one of the six activists - "If you love this city as much as we do, join us in asking the government to eliminate fossil fuels."

"Those of you who are here to take photos and visit this church today are privileged" - one of the activists said - "You are the last ones who will be able to see it above sea level."

The protesters met opposition from some tourists but won the support of one French visitor and her young daughter who joined the demonstration, according to local news reports.

Un gesto gravissimo e vergognoso che condanniamo fermamente!
Gli attivisti per il clima hanno imbrattato poco fa l'esterno della Basilica di San Marco a Venezia, sembra con del liquido misto a fango. Al momento speriamo senza danni permanenti.

Ora basta, è legittimo esprimere… pic.twitter.com/y51L8ZBv4W

— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) December 7, 2023

The protest was slammed as a "very serious and shameful act" by Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro who wrote on X: "Enough is enough, it is legitimate to express your dissent, but always respecting the law and our cultural and religious heritage."

The incident was strongly condemned by Italy's culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano who noted on X that a bill to make "eco-vandals" pay for the work required to restore the monuments they deface has been approved by the senate and awaits the definitive green light from the lower house.

The demonstration in Venice is the latest in a series of similar stunts in other Italian cities, including Rome and Florence, where climate activists have glued their hands to artworks and dyed the waters of historic fountains black.

Photo Luigi Brugnaro X