AMB Cote d'Azur
Home Page arrow Painting Mont Blanc red arrow arrow arrow
Police arrest Dane for trying to paint Mont Blanc red Print E-mail
Written by News Desk Team   
Wednesday, 06 June 2007

CHAMONIX - French police on Tuesday arrested a Danish artist who planned to paint the peak of Mont Blanc red in a bid to raise awareness of environmental issues.

Marco Evaristti, 43, originally from Chile, was picked up by police after having used a raspberry-based biodegradable dye based on the top of the famous Alpine peak.

Police spokesman Olivier Kim said the artist might be charged with damaging the environment on a listed site, namely Mont Blanc itself.

Evaristti had announced on Monday that he wanted to colour the peak of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in western Europe, and establish a sovereign "Pink State" there to raise awareness for environmental issues.

"As France has taken the right to conduct nuclear testing in French Polynesia thousands of kilometres away, it would be a clear case of double-standards if they now prevented me from occupying a small piece of land for peaceful purposes," he said.

Snow-capped Mont Blanc rises to 4,808 metres (15,774 feet) in the French Alps.