Just Stop Oil Activists Found Guilty for Attacking Van Gogh Painting with Soup
- Two Just Stop Oil activists were convicted for throwing soup at a Van Gogh painting during a protest in 2022.
- The demonstration involved the activists gluing themselves to the wall beneath the artwork, which was protected by glass.
- This incident highlights ongoing tensions between environmental activism and cultural heritage.
Two activists from the climate group Just Stop Oil have been convicted of criminal damage for their protest involving Vincent Van Gogh's iconic painting, Sunflowers. Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, both 22, threw a can of Heinz tomato soup over the artwork at the National Gallery in London in October 2022. The incident, which was captured on video, showed the pair wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts and gluing their hands to the wall beneath the painting, which is protected by glass. The jury at Southwark Crown Court found the activists guilty on Thursday, despite their denial of the charges. Their actions were part of a broader campaign aimed at pressuring the UK government to halt the issuance of new oil and gas licenses. This protest follows a similar incident earlier in the year when activists targeted John Constable's The Hay Wain, highlighting a trend of art-related demonstrations by climate activists. During the protest, Plummer posed a provocative question, asking, "What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice?" This statement underscores the activists' intent to draw attention to the urgent issues surrounding climate change and social justice. The case has sparked discussions about the methods used by activists to raise awareness and the implications of their actions on cultural heritage. As climate activism continues to evolve, the intersection of art and protest remains a contentious topic in public discourse.