Climate Activists Spray Palazzo Vecchio with Orange Paint, Florence Mayor Nardella Tackles Protester

On Friday, members of the Ultima Generazione civil disobedience group sprayed orange paint on the walls of Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s town hall, in a bid to draw attention to the urgency of addressing the climate crisis.

This act of defiance is one in a series of actions undertaken by the group to emphasize the need for immediate action against climate change.

Florence Mayor Condemns Climate Activists as “Barbarians” After Defacing Town Hall

Two activists, aged 23 and 32, were quickly apprehended by police after spraying orange paint on the walls of Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s town hall, as an act of civil disobedience in protest of the lack of action against the climate crisis.

The way they are protesting is not appropriate, commented the mayor, who was present in the square outside the palace during the demonstration. The mayor even helped prevent one of the activists from causing damage and assist with the subsequent clean-up efforts.

He added, “The protesters should focus on defending culture instead of attacking it.”

Ultima Generazione, a group that uses paint that can be easily washed off, organized the demonstration to draw attention to the use of public funds to invest in fossil fuels.

They aimed to highlight how these investments are contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and causing global warming.