WATCH: Police Arrest Climate Activists Dumping Coal in Rome’s Trevi Fountain

At least seven climate activists turned Rome's iconic Trevi Fountain black during a demonstration over the weekend. Activisits from the group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) held banners saying “We won’t pay for fossil [fuels]” and shouted “Our country is dying,” while pouring diluted charcoal into the water.

Video footage of the incident shows spectators appearing to cheer on the demonstration while also cheering as the protesters are arrested.

All the activists face vandalism charges, Rome police said, according to CNN.

According to ABC Radio Australia, the incident follows several other climate protests across Italy, including graffiti art and highway blocking.

In a statement, Ultima Generazione noted that one in four houses in Italy were at risk from flooding and called for an end to public subsidies for fossil fuels. It linked protests to deadly floods occurring in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.

Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri issued a statement condemning the protest, “Enough of these absurd attacks on our artistic heritage,” he wrote on Twitter.

The white marble 18th-century fountain is best known for its tradition of visitors tossing coins into it to ensure that they will return to Rome one day.