They glued themselves to Botticelli's Venus, will not be prosecuted: the fact does not exist

Judgment not to prosecute because the fact does not exist. This is the decision of the Florence court gup on the case of the three eco-activists who in July 2022 glued themselves to the protective glass window of Botticelli’s Primavera at the Uffizi to stage an environmental protest. This means the three activists will not be prosecuted. The decision comes after the pre-trial appearance hearing, introduced in October 2022 by the Cartabia reform: a kind of “filter hearing” that assesses whether the conditions exist for a defendant to appear before a judge for trial, introduced to speed up trials and avoid unnecessary ones.

The charges against the three activists were unannounced demonstration, interruption of a public service and resisting a public official. According to the judge, this was not an unannounced demonstration since it took place not in a public place but in a place open to the public. It was not interruption of a public service because the Uffizi did not close as a result of the protest, and there was no resistance to a public official because, according to the judge, the conduct of the activists on that occasion was not sufficient to integrate the crime.

The activists commented, “For the judge, gluing oneself to the protective glass of Botticelli’s Primavera does not constitute an act worthy of condemnation. This relieves us, but it does not console us: the government is still not committed to making people safe from the climate crisis.”

They glued themselves to Botticelli's Venus, will not be prosecuted: the fact does not exist

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