Protesters Vandalize Velázquez's Rokeby Venus in London Gallery
Climate activists vandalize iconic painting at London's National Gallery Two members of Just Stop Oil arrested for smashing protective glass around Velázquez's 'Rokeby Venus' Incident sparks debate on the intersection of art and environmental activism
Two climate activists from the group Just Stop Oil were apprehended by London's Metropolitan Police on Monday for vandalizing a renowned painting at the National Gallery. The incident involved the activists, identifiable by their white Just Stop Oil t-shirts, smashing the protective glass shielding Diego Velázquez's 17th-century masterpiece, the "Rokeby Venus," with orange safety hammers.
A photograph released by Just Stop Oil shows two protesters hurling tinned soup at Vincent Van Gogh's iconic work Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London on Friday, October 14, 2022. Just Stop Oil, a group advocating for the British government to cease new oil and gas projects, disclosed that activists poured two cans of Heinz tomato soup over the oil painting. London's Metropolitan Police reported the arrest of two individuals on charges of criminal damage and aggravated trespass. (Just Stop Oil via AP)
Just Stop Oil/AP
Are Just Stop Oils dramatic art museum protests hurting their own cause?
The painting gained notoriety when suffragette Mary Raleigh Richardson protested against it in 1914, causing damage. The National Gallery reported that they cleared the room of visitors and called the police after the incident occurred at around 11 a.m. local time on Monday.
The post stated that the painting is currently being taken down for examination by conservators. The Metropolitan Police announced on Twitter that two activists from the group Just Stop Oil have been detained for committing an act of criminal damage. The glass protecting a painting at the National Gallery has been vandalized.
A group of Just Stop Oil activists also congregated in Whitehall, the London street stretching from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament, on Monday. According to the protest group, over 100 individuals were participating in the march in that vicinity before police intervention resulted in arrests.
Visitors looks at the Johannes Vermeer's painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague.
Lex Van Lieshout/ANP/AFP/Getty Images
Climate activists participating in a Vermeer protest have been sentenced to prison. The Metropolitan Police informed X that within a span of 15 minutes, they apprehended over 40 activists involved in the slow march. Consequently, Whitehall has been successfully cleared. The police will soon release updates regarding the number of individuals arrested.
In recent years, Just Stop Oil has specifically targeted a number of artworks, such as Vincent van Gogh's famous "Sunflowers," a replica of Leonardo da Vinci's iconic "The Last Supper," and Johannes Vermeer's renowned "Girl with a Pearl Earring."
Moreover, this activist group has caused disruptions at various prominent sporting events held in England this year, such as the Open Championship in golf, Wimbledon in tennis, the Ashes cricket test series, and the World Snooker Championship. Additionally, they have even interrupted a live performance of the beloved musical "Les Misérables."
