Greta Thunberg banned from Venice after climate protesters dye Grand Canal green

David Matthews, New York Daily News on Nov 26, 2025

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Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been fined and temporarily banned from Venice, Italy, after protesters dyed the Grand Canal green over the weekend.

Thunberg, 22, was with Extinction Rebellion, an environmental group behind many high-profile protests, when they poured dye into the waters that outline the historic city, according to The Telegraph.

The non-toxic dye, often used in environmental studies, turned the water a bright shade of green.

Extinction Rebellion admitted to the demonstration and said it had dyed waterways and fountains in Milan, Palermo and Bologna over the weekend as well.

The protests were reportedly in response to Italy not restricting fossil fuels in a climate agreement reached at COP30 in Brazil last week.

Luca Zaia, the governor of the Veneto region, condemned the demonstration, calling it an “attack on the heart of our heritage” — one that “wounds” the city of Venice.

“Vandalism doesn’t protect the environment,” Zaia wrote on Instagram in Italian. “These acts damage Venice, force restoration efforts and — paradoxically — generate pollution.”

Thunberg, along with dozens of other protesters, was banned for 48 hours and fined 150 euros (about $173). Italian officials reprimanded them for the “disrespectful act towards our city, its history and its fragility.”

The incident comes a month after Thunberg and others were brought to Israel after their flotilla was intercepted while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade. After she was released, she was deported to her native Sweden.

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