Ecological Transition Minister
Roberto Cingolani on Wednesday was set to meet climate activists
from the Extinction Rebellion group, including several young
people who have been on hunger strike for over a week, for talks
on the climate crisis, sources said.
Five activists started a hunger strike and daily protests
outside the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MITE) on February
8 as part of the Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) campaign,
demanding a public meeting with Cingolani and other members of
Premier Mario Draghi's government.
Cingolani had refused to meet the activists until they
apologised for a raid at the start of the month in which some
Extinction Rebellion members burst into the ministry and sprayed
paint.
This meeting was agreed after an apology was issued on Tuesday,
the sources said.
The hunger strikers had received solidarity earlier on Wednesday
in the form of a visit from Angelo Bonelli, the head of the
Green Europe party, and MP Cristian Romaniello.
"We came here to listen to the young women and men of Extinction
Rebellion - Ultima Generazione, who are on hunger strike to
obtain a meeting with
Minister Cingolani," Bonelli and Romaniello said in a
statement.
"We hope the minister meets the youngsters as soon as possible,
not just for their health, but also to safeguard the health of
all male and female Italian citizens".
Extinction Rebellion is an a group with branches in many
countries that stages peaceful, but frequently disruptive
protests, to highlight the gravity of the climate crisis and
trigger action.
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