LONDON — Environmental activists threw tomato soup on one of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers paintings while on at the National Gallery in London.
According to the BBC, two protestors wearing “Just Stop Oil” t-shirts opened two cans of Heinz Tomato Soup and hurled it at the painting from 1889, which is part of a series by the Dutch painter.
Oil protesters throw soup on Van Gogh's Sunflowers painting https://t.co/wdKdfcG8JF
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 14, 2022
The protestors, who entered the gallery Friday morning, also glued themselves to the opposite wall after attacking the painting.
According to The Associated Press the glass-covered painting was undamaged, but the frame received minor damage from the incident.
After the pair were unglued from the wall, London’s Metropolitan Police said officers arrested the pair on suspicion of criminal damage and aggravated trespass.
The demonstrations come as the British government opens a new licensing round for North Sea oil and gas exploration, despite environmentalists and scientists who say the move undermines the country’s commitment to fighting climate change, AP reported.
Video obtained by the BBC said one of the protesters shouted, “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?”
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