Overview
- Extinction Rebellion carried out a coordinated action on Thursday, May 21, dyeing public fountains in roughly 16–17 cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden and Munich to protest the federal gas policy.
- The group said it used the fluorescent dye Uranin in low doses that are commonly used for leak detection and that the color fades within hours to days.
- Local police opened investigations and are testing what was introduced into the water, with initial statements saying there is no sign so far of criminal water contamination.
- Dresden authorities separately launched a property‑damage probe after activists left graffiti near the Semperoper fountain, and officials are reviewing possible legal consequences in other cities.
- The action responds to recent cabinet moves to enable new gas-fired backup plants during low-wind, low-sun periods and raises debate over the pace of the energy transition and the balance between renewables and gas.