「ライオンの噴水」に塗料、サーカスの動物使用に抗議 伊ローマ

【ローマＡＦＰ＝時事】動物の権利を訴える団体「アニマル・リベリオン」の活動家２人が１日、サーカスの動物使用に抗議し、イタリアの首都ローマを象徴するポポロ広場の「ライオンの噴水」に塗料を投げ込んだ。（写真は、伊ローマで、塗料が掛けられたポポロ広場の噴水のライオン像を清掃する作業員）
　活動家たちは赤と黄色の塗料を噴水に投入。「サーカスの動物をなくせ」と書かれた横断幕を掲げた。周囲にいた観光客はこの様子を携帯電話で撮影していた。
　声明によるとこの行動は、昨年１１月にローマ近郊の海辺の町ラディスポリでサーカスから逃げ出した「キンバ」という名のライオンにちなんで行われた。当時雄ライオンが夜間人けのない通りを歩く姿を捉えた動画が報じられた。
　欧州では２０か国以上がサーカスでの動物の使用を禁止または厳しく制限しているが、イタリアにはそうした規制がなく、全土で２０００頭近い動物がサーカスにいると推定される。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/02/02-17:14）

Two activists from Italian campaign group Animal Rebellion threw paint Thursday over the lion fountain in Rome's iconic Piazza del Popolo, to protest against the presence of animals in circuses.
They used what they said was washable yellow and red paint, before putting up a banner saying: End animals in circuses.
Tourists in the historic city centre square took photos with their phones before cleaners arrived to wash off the paint, some of which dripped into the water.
In a statement, the group said the action marked the launch of the Kimba campaign to end the violent and oppressive exploitation of animals in circuses.
It was named after Kimba, a lion which escaped from the Rony Roller Circus in the seaside town of Ladispoli, near Rome, in November.
Extraordinary videos showed the fully-grown lion with a shaggy mane walking through dark and deserted residential streets, before being captured and taken back.
His handler told AFP at the time he had posed no threat to the public.
More than 20 European countries have banned or heavily restricted the use of animals in circuses -- but Italy is not yet among them.
A law has been drafted but has been delayed, according to the LAV campaign group, which estimates that just under 2,000 animals are held in circuses across Italy.
Spraying washable paint or other non-toxic substances over famous memorials or paintings is becoming an increasingly common form of protest.
Activists on Sunday hurled soup at the bullet-proof glass protecting Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa in the Louvre museum in Paris, demanding the right to healthy and sustainable food.