Climate protesters threw soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in London’s National Gallery on Friday to protest fossil gas extraction, however prompted no harm to the glass-covered portray.
The group Just Stop Oil, which desires the British authorities to halt new oil and fuel initiatives, mentioned activists dumped two cans of tomato soup over the oil portray, one of many Dutch artist’s most iconic works. The two protesters additionally glued themselves to the gallery wall.
The soup splashed throughout the glass protecting the portray and its gilded body. The gallery mentioned “there is some minor damage to the frame but the painting is unharmed.” It was cleaned and returned to its place within the gallery on Friday afternoon.
The work is one in every of a number of variations of “Sunflowers” that Van Gogh painted within the late Eighteen Eighties.
London’s Metropolitan Police mentioned officers arrested two folks on suspicion of felony harm and aggravated trespass.
“Specialist officers have now un-glued them and they have been taken into custody to a central London police station,” the pressure mentioned in a press release.
A bunch of protesters from the identical group later gathered at police headquarters and sprayed yellow paint over the rotating “New Scotland Yard” sign up entrance of it. Several additionally glued themselves to the street, blocking site visitors. Police mentioned 24 folks had been arrested.
Just Stop Oil has drawn consideration, and criticism, for focusing on artworks in museums. In July, Just Stop Oil activists glued themselves to the body of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, and to John Constable’s “The Hay Wain” within the National Gallery.
Activists have additionally blocked bridges and intersections throughout London throughout two weeks of protests.
University of Pennsylvania local weather scientist Michael Mann mentioned he worries that the vandalism “alienates many people we need to bring into the fold. People who are natural allies in the climate battle but will draw negative associations with climate advocacy and activism from such acts.”
The wave of demonstrations comes because the British authorities opens a brand new licensing spherical for North Sea oil and fuel exploration, regardless of criticism from environmentalists and scientists who say the transfer undermines the nation’s dedication to preventing local weather change.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”