Rome's Trevi Fountain runs red for the second time in 10 years

Fontana di Trevi, in Rome, is colored with red on October 26, 2017 in Rome, Italy. Photo / Getty

The waters of Rome's famous Trevi Fountain have run red for the second time in 10 years after a man poured dye into the landmark basin in protest at a film festival in the city.

Police escorted the alleged offender away after he was seen to dump the red colouring into the pool, more commonly receptive of tourists throwing coins to, as legend has it, ensure a return visit.

"Acts like this demonstrate ignorance and a total lack of civic sense," said deputy mayor Luca Bergamo, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Local media reported that it was the same man who had dyed the fountain in the centre of the Italian capital in 2007 to protest the cost of hosting an international film festival. Rome's 2017 film festival opened on Thursday.

In 2007, Italian "vandalism artist" Graziano Cecchini claimed responsibility but said he had used natural dye so that he would not damage the 18th-century marble fountain. Officials in the city are today assessing the fountain for damage.

Photo / Getty

In 2008, Cecchini rolled 500,000 plastic balls down the Spanish Steps, each representing a "lie told by a politician".

Earlier this year tourists were banned from stopping at the Trevi Fountain, which featured in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita, when Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni went for a dip in its waters. Mayor Virginia Raggi said tourists would only be able to visit the Baroque masterpiece by passing along a one-way route in an effort to decrease the incidence of illegal bathing.

The fountain was reopened in 2015 after a lengthy renovation, in part funded by Italian fashion house Fendi.

London's Trafalgar Square fountains have, too, been turned red. Most recently, in 2015, feminist campaigners turned the waters red to signify, they said, the blood shed due to cuts to domestic violence services.

Other famous landmarks to be targeted by activists include Copenhagen's Little Mermaid statue, which has been repeatedly daubed in paints of various colours. The latest was in May when Danish sculpture was hit by anti-whaling protesters.

It has previously been beheaded and had its right arm stolen.