Last Generation activists spray paint Italian Senate building in Rome, five detained

Activists from the environmental group Last Generation targetted the exterior of the Italian senate building in Rome on Monday, vandalising the structure with orange spray paint.

According to Sputnik, five members of the group were detained by authorities. Justifying the disruptive incident, activists said in a statement that "the desperation caused by the increasingly alarming statistics of a climate collapse that has already begun" prompted them to commit the act. 

The act was condemned by Senate President Ignazio La Russa, who said that he has convened a meeting with the governing council of the parliament’s upper house on Tuesday to look into the matter. However, this isn’t the first time that the Germany-based group has resorted to disrupting and vandalising public spaces.

Earlier in November, several members of the group caused a temporary halt in flight operations at the Brandenburg Airport in Berlin by glueing themselves to the tarmac. As per the Berlin police, "several people" were spotted accessing the restricted area of the airport on November 24.

Climate activists disrupt operations at Berlin airport 

Among the activists was a 70-year-old man, who joined the group in urging people to not travel via air and demanding the government to not subsidize it.

“Airplanes are no mean of transport for common people. 80% of people never ever went anywhere by plane,” Last Generation said in a statement on its Twitter handle, adding that “only one very wealthy per cent is responsible for about of emissions caused by air traffic." 

“Supporters of the last generation are currently blocking the runway of BER. Some are glued to the asphalt, others ride their bikes across the shunting area, bringing air traffic to a standstill,” it added. 

As the new year begins, Last Generation took to Twitter and shared its plans for 2023. “In 2023, the last generation will end the government's lawbreaking by any peaceful means,” the group wrote, along with an image of two of its members sitting on a pavement with banners.