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Climate activists from Just Stop Oil have thrown tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London.
Footage showed two people in Just Stop Oil T-shirts opening tins and throwing the contents on the masterpiece before gluing their hands to the wall.
Just after 11 a.m., two young members of the climate protest group flung the liquid over the glass-covered painting to the roars, gasps, and screams of “Oh my gosh!” in room 43 of the gallery.
Activists with @JustStop_Oil have thrown tomato soup on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the national Gallery and glued themselves to the wall. pic.twitter.com/M8YP1LPTOU
— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) October 14, 2022
Before gluing themselves to the wall beneath the artwork, one of the gallery’s most priceless pieces, they took off their jackets to show Just Stop Oil T-shirts.
Tomato soup covered the image, which is covered by glass, as well as parts of the golden frame.
Visitors were then shortly escorted out by security, who then shut the doors to room 43 of the gallery where the painting hangs.
One of the activists, 21-year-old Phoebe Plummer from London, said in front of the painting: “What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice?
“Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting, or the protection of our planet and people? The cost-of-living crisis is part of the cost of oil crisis.”
The protesters were later seen being put into a police van at the back entrance of the gallery.
Officers were on the scene at the National Gallery this morning after two Just Stop Oil protestors threw something over a picture and then fastened themselves to a wall, according to the Metropolitan Police. For aggravated trespass and criminal trespass, both have been placed under arrest.