Spanish Steps vandalized by activists in shocking protest
Activists are overreacting. Yet again, a famous European landmark has been damaged by being doused with paint. This time, it's the famous Spanish Steps.
The unfortunate events in Rome took place on Wednesday, June 26.
18th-century landmark damaged
Protest participants carried banners with slogans opposing the phenomenon referred to in Italian as "femminicidio" (crimes against women). They also distributed leaflets listing the names of recent victims. What they did to the Roman monument was far worse than these forms of protest.
Red paint was poured over the ornate steps of the Spanish Steps, leading to the popular plaza. "This is their blood: a massacre that society refuses to see," said the activists. The spilled paint was meant to symbolize this blood. In this way, the group of activists protested against the crimes committed against women in Italy.
The action took place in the presence of numerous tourists and passersby. The police and city guard had to intervene. Six people were arrested. A video posted on Platform X shows the paint-soaked steps and women dipping their hands in red paint and then imprinting them on the steps.
The monument supervision office was notified of the incident. Its task is to assess the extent of the damage caused to the famous landmark in the heart of the Eternal City. It has been under special protection since its renovation a few years ago.
Activists are overreacting
This is not the first time activists have damaged famous landmarks in Europe. Last year, three climate activists from Just Stop Oil vandalized the well-known Wellington Arch in London. They used fire extinguishers to spray the arch with orange paint, dousing the columns from the ground to several feet high. They then set off smoke flares. According to the group, this was a protest against the British government's issuance of new licenses for fossil fuel extraction.
