Vatican court convicts climate activists

VATICAN CITY

A Vatican court convicted two environmental activists of aggravated damage on June 10 and ordered them to pay more than 28,000 euros in restitution after they glued their hands to the base of an ancient statue in the Vatican Museums in a protest to draw attention to climate change.

The two members of the Last Generation environmental activist group, Guido Viero and Ester Goffi, also received a nine-month suspended sentence and were fined 1,620 euros apiece. A third activist on trial with them, Laura Zorzini, was fined 120 euros.

The trial stemmed from an Aug. 18 protest in the Vatican Museums, during which Viero and Goffi glued their hands to the base of the Laocoon statue, one of the most important ancient works in the collection that is believed to date from the 1st century B.C. They hung up a banner reading “Last Generation: No gas and no carbon,” as Zorzini filmed them.

Their action was part of a wave of Last Generation and related activist protests around Europe that have targeted museums and other cultural institutions, tied up traffic for days and otherwise caused disruptions in a bid to draw attention to what the activists say is the failure of governments to take action to fight climate change.

In closing arguments, the lawyer for the Vatican City State accused the defendants of exploiting Pope Francis’ known concern for the environmental cause by causing “inestimable” damage to a piece of the world’s artistic and cultural patrimony.

Attorney Floriana Gigli said Viero and Goffi knew their protest would damage the artwork, citing their decision to glue their hands to the base, not the statue itself, and yet never expressed regret at the damage caused.