Five protesters ‘expelled’ from Venice for four years after turning Grand Canal green

Five people are said to have been slapped with a four-year ban from the famous Italian city after the Grand Canal turned green.

Venice’s mayor was furious after the city’s famous Grand Canal turned a fluorescent green on the weekend.

The Extinction Rebellion group claimed responsibility, saying they were denouncing the “failure” of world leaders at the United Nations COP28 summit in Dubai to tackle the climate crisis.

The protesters said they used “harmless dye” to turn waterways in major Italian cities green.

“In a few hours, these waters will return to how they were before,” a statement said. “In the meantime, while governments speak, we count the damage and victims of continuous floods and fires.”

The Grand Canal in Venice was turned green on the weekend. Picture: Marco Sabadin / AFP

Three protesters in harnesses could be seen lowering themselves from the Rialto Bridge with banners.

One read: “COP28: while the government talks, we’re hanging on by a thread”.

Three Extinction Rebellion activists hung from the Rialto Bridge. Picture: Marco Sabadin / AFP

Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro said those involved were “eco-vandals” that couldn’t continue doing whatever they wanted, and called for prison time.

“If you want respect, you have to give respect,” he said on social media, according to an English translation.

“Venice is a fragile city, to love and above all to respect! That’s enough now.”

Mr Brugnaro said traffic was halted in the Grand Canal and the recently restored columns of the Rialto Bridge had to be checked.

A gondola cruises on the Grand Canal after Extinction Rebellion activists dyed the water. Picture: Marco Sabadin / AFP

Extinction Rebellion Italy expressed outrage that of more than two dozen people arrested, five were “expelled from Venice for four years”, including students at Venice university, Ca’ Foscari.

They said two people were also banned from the city for 48 hours.

“Among the people taken into custody there was also a tourist,” the group said, adding that person was released from custody without any consequences.