Mayor hailed a hero for stopping climate activists spraying paint on ancient building

A mayor has been likened to Superman after stopping climate activists spraying paint on an ancient city building.

Mayor Dario Nardella has been dubbed Superman for stopping a protester

A mayor has been likened to Superman after springing into action to stop climate activists who were spraying paint on an ancient city building.

Florence mayor Dario Nardella intervened to stop activists defacing the facade of Palazzo Vecchio, the city’s town hall building, with bright orange paint.

Florence mayor Dario Nardella grabbed the activist. Picture: Twitter.

He shoved the vandal away from the building. Picture: Twitter.

Footage captured shows Mr Nardella grabbing the arms of a male activist pointing a red fire extinguisher at the building that had been sprayed with paint.

He can be seen shoving the man away from the vandalised wall as he attempts to put the extinguisher on the ground. A police officer moves in to restrain the activist’s hands, the mayor can be seen yelling furiously at him.

“What the f**k are you doing, what the f**k are you doing?” he shouts in Italian at the man, according to The Sun translators.

Earlier footage shows Mr Nardella in the historic Piazza della Signoria, considered the political heart of Florence and tourist hub.

The mayor is addressing a camera while, in the background, orange paint can be seen being applied to the Palazzo Vecchio. He then turns and runs to intervene.

Qui è dove tutto è iniziato pic.twitter.com/cJ1dtNFo6Y

— Arkantos (@Arkantos_est) March 17, 2023

News agency ANSA reports the two vandals, aged 23 and 32, were detained by police.

It is understood they were linked to the Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) group, which has been involved in a number of actions across Italy aimed at raising awareness of the climate crisis.

The Last Generation group is known for defacing artwork and blocking traffic to make political statements about the climate crisis.

This latest attack follows a March 9 spray painting of the statue of Vittorio Emanuele II in front of Duomo cathedral in Milan.

Cleaners worked to restore the statue of Vittorio Emanuele II after Last Generation activists sprayed it with paint. Picture: Piero Cruciatti/AFP

They have also made headlines for separate incidents last year, including throwing flour on Andy Warhol’s painted car artwork in Milan and pea soup onto a Vincent van Gogh masterpiece in Rome

The group sparked outrage by gluing themselves to the protective glass in front of Botticelli’s Primavera at the Uffizi, which is located near their latest protest site.

Last Generation activists also glued themselves to Vincent van Gogh’s 1888 painting ‘The Sower’ in November. Picture: ANSA/AFP

After stopping the activists, Mr Nardella joined the efforts to clean the building, sharing photos of a group power washing and scrubbing the paint from the stone building.

“The attack on art, culture and beauty, which are helpless in the face of violence and which are created for the good of humanity can never justify the battle for a cause, even the most acceptable,” he wrote with the pictures.

L’attacco all’arte, la cultura e la bellezza, che sono inermi davanti alla violenza e che nascono per il bene dell’umanità non può mai giustificare la battaglia per una causa, anche la più condivisibile. pic.twitter.com/7W9Vg4Q6Vf

— Dario Nardella (@DarioNardella) March 17, 2023

He later added that more than 5000 litres of water were used to clean the “environmental blitz”.

The mayor’s actions went viral and were widely praised, with memes comparing him to the city’s own Superman, or a parent reacting to seeing their “child in danger”.

“Nardella is actually Clark Kent,” one user wrote.

“BatNardella!!!!” another wrote.

Grazie per lo spunto😅 pic.twitter.com/KJheevnfhH

— Gianfranco Puggioni.💜 (@topolotto1) March 17, 2023

Grande Sindaco. Il suo scatto per bloccare gli attivisti mi ha fatto pensare ad un genitore che non si risparmia quando vede un figlio in pericolo
Bravo!

— Giusy.48 (@48_giusy) March 17, 2023

The next day, Mr Nardella released a longer statement saying that while he was “appalled and angry” by the vandalism he “shouldn’t have addressed (the activists) that way”.

“I acted on instinct. As mayor I love Florence not only with my head but with my heart and this time the heart prevailed, the impulse reaction prevailed,” he wrote.

“The instinct of a father or mother of a family who thought only of defending everyone’s home, Palazzo Vecchio.”

Pictures of a visibly distressed Mr Nardella went viral online. Picture: Twitter.

Mr Nardella said his actions were done to “block the vandalism and limit the damage as much as possible”, adding he saw it as “a scar on our history, on our roots”.

“For this reason, even the most shared battle, such as the one on the climate emergency, cannot be waged by attacking everyone’s heritage,” he wrote.

“Caring for the planet and caring for art are two cornerstones of our existence.”

Mr Nardella shared pictures of him helping clean the Palazzo Vecchio. Picture: Twitter.

He acknowledged the Last Generation activists’ frustrations, saying they were “legitimate” but that action for “real change” was best left in the hands of city administrators and authorities.

“Yesterday we blocked the protest but we didn’t block the desire to protect the planet that hosts us,” Mr Nardella said.

The paint was washed from the building after the protest. Picture: Twitter.

“I am convinced that we don’t need glaring, individual, divisive actions, but widely shared battles and drastic government policies that can be reflected in the cities we love and live in every day.”

He called for the city of Florence to “help each other” to act on the climate crisis.

“It’s time to give substance to the defence of the environment. We try every day but we know that without everyone’s help, it will be impossible. Let’s help each other.”