Two environmental activists from the Last Generation group were found guilty of aggravated damage by a Vatican court on Monday for gluing their hands to the base of the Laocoön statue. They were ordered to pay over €28,000 (approximately US$30,000) in restitution. Guido Viero and Ester Goffi also received a nine-month suspended sentence and were fined €1,620 each. A third activist involved, Laura Zorzini, who filmed the incident, received a €120 fine.

The protest took place on August 18th within the Vatican Museums. Viero and Goffi attached themselves to the base of the renowned Laocoön, a significant ancient sculpture believed to originate from the 1st century BC. Simultaneously, they displayed a banner proclaiming, "Last Generation: No gas and no carbon."

This act was one of many similar demonstrations carried out by Last Generation and affiliated activist groups across Europe. These protests have targeted cultural institutions and museums, disrupted traffic, and caused general disturbances to highlight what they perceive as governmental inaction on climate change.

The Vatican's legal representative argued that the defendants exploited Pope Francis's environmental advocacy by inflicting "inestimable" harm on a globally recognized piece of cultural heritage. The attorney, Floriana Gigli, asserted that Viero and Goffi understood their actions would cause damage, pointing to their choice to glue themselves to the base instead of the statue itself, and their lack of remorse for the resulting harm.

None of the activists were present for the verdict. During a prior hearing, Viero and Goffi maintained they hadn't intended to damage the statue but defended their cause. Viero explained his actions stemmed from a sense of responsibility as a father and grandfather to raise awareness about Italy's perceived shortcomings in addressing global warming. Goffi mentioned she had brought a glue solvent, but Vatican restorers opted for a different acetone-based product to detach their hands.

While the Vatican prosecutor had initially requested two-year sentences and €3,000 fines for Viero and Goffi, and a one-month sentence for Zorzini, she also suggested full restitution for the damage if suspended sentences were given. The court ultimately set the restitution amount at €28,148. The possibility of an appeal remains uncertain.

The head of the Vatican Museums' marble restoration laboratory confirmed the damage to the base, while permanent, was less severe than initially feared. He emphasized that the statue's marble base is an "integral part of the work." Last Generation explained their choice of the Laocoön, believed to have been sculpted in Rhodes between 40-30 BC, was due to its symbolic narrative. The legend, also recounted on the Vatican Museums' website, describes Laocoön's warning to the Trojans about the Greeks' wooden horse. The group drew a parallel between this unheeded warning and the current climate crisis they believe political leaders are ignoring.