A group of climate protesters who damaged the base of an ancient statue in the Vatican Museums is now on trial in Vatican City court.
In August 2022, Guido Viero and Ester Goffi affixed their hands with superglue to the base of “Laocoon and His Sons”, a Roman statue dating back to antiquity.
They also affixed QR codes linking to activist materials to the base of the statue with superglue.
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A visitor looks at the sculpture ‘Laocoon and his sons’ at the Vatican Museums. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting via Getty Images)
Viero, 61, and Goffi, 26, were registered by a third individual identified only as Laura, who was also denounced by the Vatican police.
All three are members of Last Generation, an international climate protest group known for public stunts attempting to damage historic artwork and disrupt the peace.
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Last Generation says Viero and Goffi face up to three years in prison and a fine of over 3,000 euros.
They repeatedly appealed to Vatican officials — including the pope — for leniency, saying the goal wasn’t to damage the ancient artwork but rather to draw attention to climate change and its effects.
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On Saturday, March 4, 2023, climate activists of the “Last Generation” take part in a protest at the Jakob-Kaiser building in Berlin. On Saturday, climate activists sprayed a dark liquid on an artwork near the German parliament building inscribed with key articles of the country’s constitution, drawing condemnation from the president of parliament and other lawmakers. (Sven Kaeuler/dpa via AP)
The damage done to the Vatican statue is just one of a series of similar protests in the western hemisphere.
Climate activists defaced an artwork near the German parliament on Saturday in the latest act of vandalism by protesters interested in environmental politics.
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Members of The Last Generation dropped black liquid on a series of glass slides displaying 19 items from the German constitution. The demonstrators then posted posters with the inscription: “Oil or fundamental rights?” in German.
