Two more Van Gogh paintings souped after Just Stop Oil activists sentenced

Just Stop Oil campaigners threw soup at two paintings in London’s National Gallery just hours after two of their fellow activists were sentenced to time in prison for the same act.

According to the National Gallery, three people entered Room 6 of the “Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers” exhibition at 2.30 p.m. London time on Friday and threw vegetable soup on two of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” paintings.

“There are people in prison for demanding an end to new oil and gas, something which is now government policy, after sustained, disruptive actions, countless headlines and the resulting political pressure,” one of the campaigners said, after throwing the soup. “Future generations will regard these prisoners of conscience to be on the right side of history.”

“Police were called and three people have been arrested,” the gallery’s statement said. “The paintings were removed from display and examined by a conservator. The paintings are unharmed.”

One of the paintings was the same one that two Just Stop Oil activists threw tomato soup at two years ago, drawing worldwide attention to the climate protest group.

Although the painting itself was unharmed at the time, the 17th-century frame was damaged, for which Southwark Crown Court sentenced the two activists to two years and 20 months in prison respectively. 

According to the Telegraph, visitors were escorted out by security guards, who then locked the doors to the room in the exhibition.