Europe

Venice canal turn fluorescent green near Rialto Bridge

No activist group has come forward to claim responsibility

Authorities have taken samples of the water and are trying to determine the cause of the fluorescent colour. Photograph: Vigili Del Fuoco/AP
Authorities have taken samples of the water and are trying to determine the cause of the fluorescent colour. Photograph: Vigili Del Fuoco/AP
Sun May 28 2023 - 17:02

The waters in Venice’s main canal turned Fluorescent green on Sunday in the area near the city’s famous Rialto Bridge. Authorities are seeking to determine the cause, Italy’s fire department said.

The regional environmental protection agency has received samples of the affected waters and is working to identify the substance that changed the colour, the department said in a tweet.

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The Venice prefect has called an emergency meeting of police forces to understand what happened and study possible countermeasures, the Ansa news agency reported.

This incident echoes recent environmental protests in the country which have seen groups using colouring agents to target landmark monuments, such as Rome’s Trevi fountain which was turned black using vegetable charcoal in a protest against fossil fuels.

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Unlike previous cases, however, no activist group has come forward to claim responsibility for what happened in Venice. – Reuters