Luca Zaia, the governor of Veneto, the region that includes Venice, criticised the stunt, saying that it was “a disrespectful act towards our city, its history and its fragility”.
He added: “It’s a gesture that risks having consequences for the environment.”
But many tourists who watched the protest told Italian media it was a legitimate action that would highlight the failure of world leaders to address the climate crisis adequately.
Extinction Rebellion said its activists had released the same type of green dye into canals, rivers, lakes and fountains in 10 Italian cities to highlight “the massive effects of climate collapse”.
They tipped the dye into fountains in Genoa and Padova as well as the Po river in Turin, the Reno river in Bologna and the Tara river in Taranto.
