Culture minister slams 'unspeakable gesture' at St Mark's Basilica

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 7 - Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano on Thursday strongly condemned the protest by climate activists in Venice that involved using fire extinguishers to spray liquid mud on St Mark's Basilica in what they said was a "fire alarm".
    He described the action as "a vile and unspeakable gesture" and as a "disfigurement to one of the most illustrious symbols of the national cultural heritage that must be firmly sanctioned".
    "The Senate has passed the bill approved by the government that punishes eco-vandals by forcing them to pay out of their own pockets for the restoration" of the monuments and works of art that they potentially damage, continued the minister.
    "We are waiting for the final green light from the Lower House.
    Those who damage will pay economically in the first person," said Sangiuliano. (ANSA).