Activists throw soup at van Gogh paintings once more
Three activists from 'Just Stop Oil' have been taken into custody for throwing soup at Vincent van Gogh's 'The Sunflowers' at the National Gallery in London. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Just Stop Oil has been involved in another act of vandalism, occurring merely hours after two members of the group received sentences for a similar offense.
On Friday, three activists from Just Stop Oil were charged with criminal damage after they threw tomato soup at two paintings from Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ series at London’s National Gallery. The individuals arrested are Stephen Simpson, 61, Phillipa Green, 24, and Mary Somerville, 77. According to a statement from the National Gallery, the paintings were encased in glass and remained undamaged.
The museum reported that the trio entered a room at the ‘Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers’ exhibition and threw a “soup-like substance” at two works, one of which is on loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “The paintings were removed from display and examined by a conservator and are unharmed. We are aiming to reopen the exhibition as soon as possible,” the National Gallery commented.
In a social media video shared by the activists, the protesters were shown throwing soup from cans at the painting, prompting audible reactions of outrage from visitors. “Future generations will regard these prisoners of conscience to be on the right side of history,” stated Phil Green, one of the participants in the protest.
This incident followed closely behind the sentencing of two other Just Stop Oil protesters, Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Anna Holland, 22, who were given prison terms for causing approximately £10,000 in damage to the frame of a van Gogh painting in 2022. Just Stop Oil remarked that this recent action was a “sign of defiance” against the sentencing of Plummer and Holland, who were sentenced to two years and 20 months, respectively. Judge Christopher Hehir noted that the “cultural treasure” could have faced irreversible damage or destruction. “You couldn’t have cared less if the painting was damaged or not,” he stated. “You had no right to do what you did to Sunflowers.”
Just Stop Oil has made headlines by vandalizing artistic works and obstructing traffic across the UK, aiming to pressure the government into halting fossil fuel extraction licenses. Van Gogh’s paintings are merely the latest targets in a trend of climate activists attacking notable artworks, which has included pieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Andy Warhol, and Claude Monet.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
On Friday, three activists from Just Stop Oil were charged with criminal damage after they threw tomato soup at two paintings from Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ series at London’s National Gallery. The individuals arrested are Stephen Simpson, 61, Phillipa Green, 24, and Mary Somerville, 77. According to a statement from the National Gallery, the paintings were encased in glass and remained undamaged.
The museum reported that the trio entered a room at the ‘Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers’ exhibition and threw a “soup-like substance” at two works, one of which is on loan from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “The paintings were removed from display and examined by a conservator and are unharmed. We are aiming to reopen the exhibition as soon as possible,” the National Gallery commented.
In a social media video shared by the activists, the protesters were shown throwing soup from cans at the painting, prompting audible reactions of outrage from visitors. “Future generations will regard these prisoners of conscience to be on the right side of history,” stated Phil Green, one of the participants in the protest.
This incident followed closely behind the sentencing of two other Just Stop Oil protesters, Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Anna Holland, 22, who were given prison terms for causing approximately £10,000 in damage to the frame of a van Gogh painting in 2022. Just Stop Oil remarked that this recent action was a “sign of defiance” against the sentencing of Plummer and Holland, who were sentenced to two years and 20 months, respectively. Judge Christopher Hehir noted that the “cultural treasure” could have faced irreversible damage or destruction. “You couldn’t have cared less if the painting was damaged or not,” he stated. “You had no right to do what you did to Sunflowers.”
Just Stop Oil has made headlines by vandalizing artistic works and obstructing traffic across the UK, aiming to pressure the government into halting fossil fuel extraction licenses. Van Gogh’s paintings are merely the latest targets in a trend of climate activists attacking notable artworks, which has included pieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Andy Warhol, and Claude Monet.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
