Just Stop Oil Activists Target Van Gogh's Sunflowers Again in London
In a bold act of protest, three activists from the environmental group Just Stop Oil doused two Van Gogh Sunflowers paintings with soup at the National Gallery in London on Friday. This incident occurred shortly after the sentencing of two fellow activists, Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, who received prison sentences for similar actions earlier that day. The protest highlights the ongoing struggle against fossil fuel projects in the UK, as the group continues to advocate for an immediate halt to all new oil and gas initiatives.
The activists targeted Van Gogh's iconic works, one from 1888 and another from 1889, which was on loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Fortunately, the National Gallery confirmed that the paintings were not damaged, stating they were immediately examined by a curator. The three protestors were arrested by police at the scene, demonstrating the escalating tensions surrounding climate activism in the UK.
Sentencing Sparks Defiant Protest
The timing of this protest was particularly poignant, as it followed the sentencing of Plummer and Holland, who received two years and 20 months in prison, respectively, for their involvement in a similar protest back in October 2022. During that event, they had thrown soup on the 1888 painting and glued themselves to the wall, demanding urgent action against fossil fuels. Although the frame of the painting was slightly damaged, the glass protection prevented any serious harm to the artwork.
Activist Phil Green, 24, expressed solidarity with the imprisoned activists, stating, "People are being imprisoned for demanding that oil and gas projects be stopped... Future generations will recognize that these prisoners of conscience were on the right side of history." Just Stop Oil is calling for a complete phase-out of fossil fuels in the UK by 2030, underscoring the urgency of their message as they continue to engage in high-profile protests.
