Another European landmark vandalised as activists protest Espanol

The red paint on the stairs looked like blood.

Activists react. Yet again, a popular 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, 26 June.

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 with a list of names of victims of such crimes in recent months. What they did to the Roman monument was far worse than such a form of protest.

Red paint was poured over the rococo steps of the Spanish Steps, leading to the popular plaza. "This is their blood: a massacre that society refuses to see," said the activists, and the spilt paint was meant to symbolise 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 passers-by. 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 first dipping their hands in red paint and then imprinting them on the steps.

The monument supervision office was notified of the incident to assess the extent of 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 vandalised the well-known Wellington Arch in London. They used extinguishers to spray the arch with orange paint, dousing the columns from the ground up to several metres high. They then set off smoke flares. According to the group, this was a protest against the British government's issuing new licences for fossil fuel extraction.

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