According to Italy’s fire service, the waters in Venice’s central canal turned bright green near the Rialto bridge on Sunday, prompting authorities to investigate the cause.
The regional environmental protection agency has received samples of the altered waters. According to a tweet from the department, it is working to determine the component that caused them to change color.
According to the Ansa news agency, the Venice prefect has convened an emergency conference of police forces to investigate what transpired and consider appropriate remedies.
The act is reminiscent of recent incidents in Italy where environmental groups have colored monuments, such as using vegetable charcoal to turn the waters of Rome’s Trevi fountain black in protest of fossil fuels. However, unlike prior situations, no activist group has claimed credit for what occurred in Venice.
