Just Stop Oil activists have flung tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh's iconic Sunflowers painting at London's National Gallery.
Bystanders gasped in room 43 of the gallery while two young activists from the climate protest group threw tomato soup over the painting at 11:00 this morning. The painting is protected by glass.
After throwing the soup, the activists took off their jackets to reveal t-shirts printed with Just Stop Oil. They proceeded to stick themselves to the wall beneath the painting, one of the gallery's most prized possessions.
"What is worth more, art or life?” asked one of the two activists, 21-year-old Phoebe Plummer. "Is it worth more than food? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?"
The young protester stated that "The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of oil crisis, with fuel unaffordable to millions of cold, hungry families. They can’t even afford to heat a tin of soup."
Mixed reactions
Just Stop Oil has recently staged protests on roads across London, much to the frustration of commuters. But Friday's tactics took events to a new level.
Museum visitors in London weren't happy with one anonymous bystander telling The Guardian that while he understood their motives, he was concerned with aiming at "a beautiful piece of art, which is the best of humanity."
"They may be trying to get people to think about the issues but all they end up doing is getting people really annoyed and angry," he added.
The painting is unlikely to be permanently damaged, as the canvas is protected by glass. Just Stop Oil said they considered this aspect before taking action.
