Climate activists from Just Stop Oil have once again targeted Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers paintings, throwing tomato soup over two of the artist’s works at the National Gallery in London. The protest took place on Friday, just an hour after two other activists, Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, were sentenced to prison for a similar act of vandalism in 2022.
Targeting Van Gogh’s Sunflowers Again
At 2:30 PM on Friday, three Just Stop Oil supporters walked into the National Gallery and threw Heinz tomato soup over Sunflowers 1889 and Sunflowers 1888. The latter painting was the same one targeted by Plummer and Holland in 2022, an action that has now led to their imprisonment.
Phil Green, one of the activists involved in the protest, defended their actions as part of a larger movement to raise awareness about climate change. “Future generations will regard these prisoners of conscience to be on the right side of history,” he told the crowd.
Protesters Defend Their Actions as Necessary for Climate Awareness
Ludi Simpson, a 71-year-old activist who also participated in Friday’s protest, stated, “We will be held accountable for our actions today, and we will face the full force of the law. When will the fossil fuel executives and the politicians they’ve bought be held accountable for the criminal damage that they are imposing on every living thing?”
The protest was a symbolic continuation of the actions taken by Plummer and Holland, who were sentenced earlier that same day for their 2022 protest. Plummer received two years in prison, while Holland was sentenced to 20 months.
Harsh Sentences for Protesters
Judge Christopher Hehir condemned their actions, stating that the activists had come dangerously close to causing irreparable damage to Van Gogh’s priceless artwork. “You two simply had no right to do what you did to Sunflowers, and your arrogance in thinking otherwise deserves the strongest condemnation,” Hehir said during the sentencing at Southwark Crown Court.
The judge noted that while the painting itself was protected by glass, the damage to the frame and the potential for the soup to seep through posed a significant threat. “Your offending is so serious that only custodial sentences are appropriate,” Hehir concluded.
The Continued Fight Against Fossil Fuels
The latest protest highlights the ongoing commitment of Just Stop Oil activists to their cause, even in the face of legal consequences. Plummer, who gave a passionate address in court, cited historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, arguing that peaceful civil resistance was necessary to combat the climate crisis.
“I chose to peacefully disrupt a business-as-usual system that is unjust, dishonest, and murderous,” Plummer said, accepting her sentence with what she described as peace and resolve.
