A pair of environmentalists in Florence, Italy, glued their hands to a glass covering protecting Sandro Botticelli’s painting “Spring.”

The protest was staged at the Uffizi Galleries where the 10-foot tall painting is housed alongside other works by the 15th-century artist. A trio of demonstrators arrived with a sign reading, in Italian, “Last Generation, No Gas No Coal,” police said. One activist helped hold the banner while the other two attached themselves to the 540-year-old masterpiece. All three were reportedly members of a protest group called “Ultima Generazione,” which translates to “Last Generation.”

No damage was done to the painting. Its protective covering was installed several years ago.

The protesters, two women and one man, were all Italian. They were arrested and told not to return to Florence until 2025.

Local media reported that one of the activists asked, “Today, is it possible to see a beautiful Spring like this?”

Affixing one’s self to high-profile paintings has become a summer 2022 trend. In recent weeks, protesters have stuck themselves to the frames of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Peach Trees in Blossom,” John Constable’s “The Hay Wain” and a version of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

With News Wire Services



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