The three Ultima Generazione activists who had poured black charcoal-based liquid into the Barcaccia fountain in Rome's Spanish Steps on April 1, 2023, were acquitted for minor offences. The action had temporarily colored the monument's water, causing great media and political uproar. This was announced by the environmental movement itself in a note released after the ruling. The gesture, aimed at raising awareness about the climate crisis, had cost the City of Rome about 4,000 euros to restore the fountain, Il Messaggero paper reported. In the courtroom, the prosecutor had asked for a four-month sentence, stressing the economic damage caused to the community and the potential risk to the monument. One of the defendants explained in court that it was “vegetable carbon diluted in water,” adding, “We knew the consequences and made sure there was no damage to the work”. Also reinforcing the defense line was a consultant, who called the solution “low concentration” and “easily washable”, ruling out the possibility of permanent damage. The movement's comment was not long in coming: “This ruling shows that nonviolent civil resistance is not and cannot be considered a crime”.