Italian environmental activists glued their hands?to the glass protecting Sandro Botticelli's painting?Primavera in the Uffizi Galleries in Florence.?
The protest was staged at the prominent museum where the 10-foot tall painting is housed alongside other works by the 15th-century artist. Three demonstrators arrived?with a sign reading, in Italian, ¡°Last Generation, No Gas No Coal,¡± police said.? ??
Two activists stuck their palms to the 540-year-old masterpiece, while the third?helped unfurl a banner.?
All three are reportedly members of a protest group called ¡°Ultima Generazione,¡± which translates to ¡°Last Generation.¡±??
The trio, who had paid for tickets to get into the gallery, were taken away by police, according to the Italian news agency Ansa.
No damage was caused to the painting, Ansa cited the museum as saying.??
Italian media said the activists were issued official orders to stay out of the tourist-popular city for three years, using a strategy in Italy similar to that often applied to violent football fans.
¡°Is it possible to see a spring as beautiful as this today?¡± Ultima Generazione said in a statement.
¡°Fires, food crises and drought make it increasingly difficult. We decided to use art to sound an alarm call: we are heading towards social and eco-climate collapse¡±.
Botticelli¡¯s 650-year-old Primavera (meaning Spring) is one of the world¡¯s most famous paintings. The Uffizi gallery¡¯s website describes the painting as ¡°a celebration of love, peace, and prosperity¡±.
Earlier in March, an English top-flight football match between Everton and Newcastle United was briefly halted after a?protestor?tied himself to a goalpost.?
The bizarre incident took place in the second half when?the ecological protestor bound himself against a goalpost at Everton¡¯s Goodison Park, wearing a bright orange shirt that read ¡°Just Stop Oil.¡±?
He stood with a zip-tie around his neck as officials rushed to the area to get the situation under control.?The football match was halted for approximately eight minutes.?
The man was then led away by?police?and stewards before the game was restarted, with Alex Iwobi's stoppage-time goal securing a vital?1-0 win?for Everton.?
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