Venice's Grand Canal turns bright green

The police in Venice are investigating a possible source of contamination in the city's Grand Canal - a phosphorescent green liquid that appeared in the water on Sunday, La Nuova reports. Eco-activists and climate change protestors are currently under suspicion.

Gondoliers navigated through the phosphorescent waters of the Grand Canal while tourists photographed the green section of the canal from the Rialto Bridge where the contamination first emerged.

The bright green hue of the water was first spotted by local residents. The president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, reported about it on Twitter. "The Prefect has called an urgent meeting with the police to investigate the origin of the liquid," he informed.

The Italian fire service announced that it is assisting the regional environmental protection agency in collecting water samples for testing. The police are investigating if the green hue could be a protest by climate activists.

During a new technical meeting at the Prefecture in the morning, while waiting for the analysis of the green water samples, a further plan of action was established for the protection of Venice's main landmarks. City authorities agreed to develop a plan to prevent further such episodes.

This will allow the development of preventive measures against such phenomena as wave motion and behavior that does not respect the rules of urban decency.

The day after the green hue of the water in the Grand Canal, a phenomenon that lasted from 9 am until 2 pm on Sunday, the Prefecture and the police began working to identify the person responsible for the indicator that ended up in the water.

No crime is currently anticipated in the information sent to the prosecutor. The examining company is to determine the degree of toxicity of the end product in the Grand Canal. It is not excluded that this was a mistake or an act by an "angry" individual who wants to draw attention to the evil suffocating the city. It's a simple measure, given that Venice does not have sewage, so everything thrown into sinks or toilets ends up in the city's canals.

There's also a hypothesis about the indicator liquid, a product used by plumbers and technicians involved in restoring the water path during clogged sewage and downpours. But in this case, it could have been a demonstrative act.

It's worth noting, a similar event happened in Venice in 1968 when Argentine artist Nicolás García Uriburu dyed the water green with fluorescent dye during the 34th Venice Biennale, to draw attention to environmental issues and promote environmental awareness.

Earlier on May 20, the most fascinating event in the architectural world - the Venice Biennale - started in Venice, Italy. It's a space where works of world artists merge with the visions of global intellectuals. This year, the organizers intended to provoke a discussion about the "world that lies ahead". So, this might be a performance by a contemporary artist.