German fountains dyed green in protest against government's gas policy

Activists from the German branch of the Extinction Rebellion environmental movement poured dye into fountains in several cities across the country on Thursday, turning the water bright green in a sign of protest against the government's gas policy.

Fountains in 17 cities were affected, including Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Dresden and Cologne, in what the group described as an art project to draw attention to the German government's destructive focus on gas as an energy source.

Activists used the fluorescent non-toxic dye uranine, which is commonly used to locate leaks in pipes, in bait for fishing and in bath salts, and disappears after a few hours or days. They said small amounts were used - around 0.1 to 1 gram per 1,000 litres of water.

The protesters accuse Economy Minister Katherina Reiche of greenwashing and of pursuing a corporate-friendly gas policy.

The protest comes after the German Cabinet last week introduced a draft bill on the construction of new gas-fired power plants, which are intended to ensure security of electricity supply during the planned phase-out of coal by 2038 and serve as backups in future during periods of low solar and wind energy production.

The share of renewable energy in Germany's electricity consumption is set to rise to 80% by 2030. It stood at around 53% in the first quarter of 2026.