While the world might not agree on climate change, we should all agree to avoid destroying precious art.
Climate protesters threw soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in London’s National Gallery on Friday to protest fossil fuel extraction, but caused no discernible damage to the glass-covered painting.
The group Just Stop Oil, which wants the British government to halt new oil and gas projects, said activists dumped two cans of tomato soup over the oil painting, one of the Dutch artist’s most iconic works.
The two protesters also glued themselves to the gallery wall.
The soup splashed across the glass covering the painting and its gilded frame. The gallery said “there is some minor damage to the frame but the painting is unharmed.”
The work is one of several versions of “Sunflowers” that Van Gogh painted in the late 1880s.
London’s Metropolitan Police said officers arrested two people on suspicion of criminal damage and aggravated trespass.
“Specialist officers have now un-glued them and they have been taken into custody to a central London police station,” the force said in a statement.
Just Stop Oil has drawn attention, and criticism, for targeting artworks in museums. In July, Just Stop Oil activists glued themselves to the frame of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, and to John Constable’s “The Hay Wain” in the National Gallery.
Activists have also blocked bridges and intersections across London during two weeks of protests.
The wave of demonstrations comes as the British government opens a new licensing round for North Sea oil and gas exploration, despite criticism from environmentalists and scientists who say the move undermines the country’s commitment to fighting climate change.
take them out bound ===== before wrold on live televison have more ready fed up traitors line them up.;
Because they tried, they should spend ten years in jail.
I hope it was behind glass…they need to be glued to a wall in PRISON for destroying a priceless work of art for a STUPID, INSANE reason…
Yes, in this case this paintings is worth more than these two idiots that just suck up resources! Grow up, act like decent respectable ladies and fix that god awful hair, grt some education, and learn a trade. Maybe while in jail they can have some time to think about their stupidity. However, you really can’t fix stupid. A good paddling on their butts, and working to clean up the mess they created and some time cleaning up the sides of the freeways for 8 or ten hours for six months or more should fix those girls. If not they can spend time behind bars for good if they can’t act like responsible adults.
Stupid cannot be fixed, but, they will age and mature. They will see how stupid they were/look. These clowns are what’s meant by the term ‘useful idiots’.
I’m guessing that these “young people” do not have one scientific clue and/or fact about Global Warming . . . oops! turned Climate Change when that had a pause. There is disagreement about how this should be handled among scientist who do know the facts. So their skewed judgement led them to try to destroy a multimillion dollar, irreplaceable work of art?? It has survived well over 100 years, through war and probably natural disasters, and they “think” it would help their “cause” to destroy it?!! They should be prosecuted to the full extent. Poor judgement because you are not very mature can not excuse such destruction.
Attention seeking idiots.Now they can spend time behind bars and see how many idiots want to trade places.Most likely none!
Lock idiots like this up for life. What did they prove? Just 2 nut bags.
I do hope they left these two idiots attached to the wall a long time and they were extremely uncomfortable. If the ppl in charge have any sense these two will spend a long jail sentence
let them stick around for a few weeks, right there on the wall. No water or food. We need the food and water to save our planet.