Footage of Florence, Italy Mayor Dario Nardella physically handicapping climate activists attempting to graffiti one of his city’s most famous landmarks went viral this week.
The video shows Nardella interrupting the two vandals as they spray orange paint from a fire extinguisher onto the side of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s town hall building, to spread a message about climate change.
When Nardella got into the fight along with local police, he was seen shoving the two men as they committed the vandalism, forcing them off their suit and to the curb where they were arrested by Florence police.
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The Mayor of Florence, Italy, Dario Nardella, interrupts climate activists as they vandalize a historic building in the city. (Screenshot/Twitter)
According to translators for Britain’s The Sun newspaper, Nardella yelled angrily, “What the hell are you doing, what the hell are you doing?” in Italian to one of the men while being handcuffed by the police.
When tied up, the vandal apparently tried to preach about his political agenda, although the angry mayor didn’t believe it and appeared to angrily scold him mid-speech.
The incident began when Nardella noticed the climate vandals – from the activist group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) – spray-painting the paint while he was in the middle of an interview on the streets of the historic city.
Realizing what they were doing, he turned away from the camera and sprinted over to the crime scene to protect the famous building that was built some seven hundred years ago.
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A photo of Florence, Italy, one of the most famous cities in Europe. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)
The Tourist Attraction of Florence described the building as “the chief symbol of the civil power of the city of Florence, the original project of which is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio. The construction of the solid fortress began in 1299 over the ruins of the ruined towers of Uberti Ghibelline.”
The interior of the building is particularly famous for being adorned with artworks by Michelangelo and Donatello.
According to the British newspaper, the 47-year-old mayor and member of Italy’s Democratic Party was photographed helping teams clean up the historic building. Witnesses claimed he was heard muttering, “Barbarians, uncivilized” as he helped remove the paint.
Similar acts of vandalism aimed at raising awareness of climate change have been happening across Europe in recent months. Famous works of art in some of Europe’s legendary art galleries were the predominant destinations.
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A duo of environmentalists poured tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at London’s National Gallery in October. Luckily, the painting was protected by a barrier and left unharmed. London’s Metropolitan Police arrested the two vandals, who were part of the Just Stop Oil activist group.
At another London gallery last June, two activists from the same group taped their hands to the frame of another Van Gogh painting to protest the country’s climate change policies.
A general view of Florence Cathedral, Italy, March 1, 2016. (Portal/Tony Gentile)