MILAN, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Environmental group Greenpeace staged a protest in front of Milan's main cathedral on Thursday, the day the Olympic torch arrived in the city co‑hosting the Winter Games.
An installation depicted the Olympic rings dripping black oil, a visual denunciation of companies it accuses of contributing to global warming and threatening winter sports dependent on cold conditions.
"Kick polluters out of the Games," read one of the banners in front of Milan's Duomo (cathedral) in the heart of the city.
Greenpeace, which has a filed a climate‑change lawsuit against Eni, has urged the Milano Cortina 2026 organisers to cut ties with the Italian energy major.
It argues that Eni's fossil‑fuel operations undermine efforts to safeguard snow‑based sports as temperatures rise.
The Winter Olympics will run from February 6 to 22. State‑controlled Eni is one of the Games' premium domestic sponsors.
In a statement, Eni said it "shares the importance of addressing climate change" and would continue investing in the energy transition as part of its plan to reach net‑zero emissions by 2050.
The Olympic flame, which began its journey across Italy in December after being lit in Rome, reached northern Milan on Thursday morning.
It was expected to pass in front of Eni's headquarters later in the day.
Designed to build excitement nationwide ahead of the 2026 Games, the torch has travelled through all 110 Italian provinces.
Italian Olympic ski champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni will have the honour of lighting the cauldrons for the Games on Friday, Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Giselda VagnoniEditing by Keith Weir)
