[Archive 2007-10-20] Man throws red paint in Roman Trevi fountain to protest film festival

Historical archive — originally published 2007-10-20. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

To protest the €15 million budget of the RomeFilmFest, a man yesterday threw a bucket of red paint into the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome, before fleeing the scene. The water in the fountain turned complete red for a while, before technicians were able to cut off the water supply, let the dye wash out, and then replace it with fresh water.

There is no permanent discoloration of the Baroque fountain or the marble statues depicting the Roman Sea God Neptune on a chariot. Francesco Rutelli, Minister of Culture and Tourism in Italy, called the action "an unacceptable and irresponsible act of vandalism" and said that new anti-vandalism laws were needed.

On April 22, 2007, a 40-year-old woman from Milan swam naked in the fountain, getting her picture into international newspapers. Tourists throw roughly 3000 euro into the Trevi fountain each day, for good luck. The coins are removed at night and have been used to sponsor a supermarket for Rome's needy citizens.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Man throws red paint in Roman Trevi fountain to protest film festival by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.