Activists paint red message on Rome’s Spanish Steps « Euro Weekly News

Activists from the group Bruciamo Tutto (Let’s Burn Everything) staged a protest in Rome’s iconic Spanish Steps, pouring red paint down the monument’s 135 steps.

Their actions were a direct message against the alarming rate of femicide in Italy. Tourists saw protesters dipping their hands in paint, symbolizing blood, and leaving vivid handprints on the monument.

The protests were sparked by the murder of 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin and ongoing cases of femicide in Italy. According to Ansa’s study, at least 109 women were killed in Italy in 2023, more than half of them by a partner or ex-partner.

The brutal murder of Giulia by her possessive ex-boyfriend Filippo Turetta has deeply shocked Italy. The body of the biomedical engineering student was found near a lake after a week of disappearance.

The incident, widely covered by Italian media, reignited the national debate on violence against women. Although the Venice Prosecutor’s Office has closed its investigation into Turetta, public outrage persists while charges are still pending.

Alongside the painting, activists handed out leaflets bearing the names of women who have lost their lives this year, many at the hands of their partners. Several protesters were arrested by authorities, according to AP.

Sanitation crews quickly washed off the paint to preserve the tourist attraction that was an international stage for films like “Roman Holiday” and “Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning.”