Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been declared persona non grata in the historic city of Venice following a dramatic environmental protest that saw the Grand Canal turned a vivid shade of green.
The Grand Canal Protest
The incident occurred on November 24, 2025, when Thunberg, aged 22, joined activists from the Extinction Rebellion group. They poured a harmless green dye into the iconic waterway as a direct response to Italy's opposition to including robust fossil fuel restrictions in a deal finalised at the United Nations COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil.
The protest was part of a coordinated nationwide action across ten Italian sites, including cities such as Milan, Genoa, and Bologna. In Venice, campaigners also unfurled a banner reading 'Stop Ecocide' from the famed Rialto Bridge and staged a flash mob with veiled activists moving slowly through crowds of tourists.
Legal Repercussions and Official Condemnation
The stunt resulted in swift legal consequences for the Swedish campaigner. Thunberg was handed a 48-hour ban from Venice and a fine of £131. Another 35 activists, predominantly from Italy, received identical penalties.
The action drew immediate and sharp criticism from local authorities. Luca Zaia, the governor of Veneto, condemned the protest as "disrespectful" to the city's heritage, history, and fragility. He expressed particular surprise at Thunberg's involvement, suggesting the activists sought personal visibility more than genuine environmental awareness.
A Pattern of Activism
This is not the first time Thunberg has faced travel restrictions due to her activism. The Venice ban comes just a month after she was deported from Israel for participating in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Extinction Rebellion has defended its actions, stating the colouring agent used was environmentally safe and intended to symbolise the "massive effects of climate collapse". Activist Paola, who did not give a surname, criticised global summits for consistently failing to deliver ambitious proposals, with Italy being among the nations blocking stronger measures.
Meanwhile, police in Rome successfully thwarted a similar attempt to dye the waters of a lake in the EUR district, preventing a repeat of the Venetian spectacle in the capital.
