Advertisement

Climate protesters charged after dousing van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ with tomato soup

Click to play video: '‘Art or life?’ Anti-oil activists throw tomato soup over Van Gogh painting in London'
‘Art or life?’ Anti-oil activists throw tomato soup over Van Gogh painting in London
WATCH: 'Art or life?' Anti-oil activists throw tomato soup over Van Gogh painting in London – Oct 14, 2022

Two women have been charged with criminal damage after climate change protesters threw soup over Vincent van Gogh’s painting “Sunflowers” at London’s National Gallery, British police said on Saturday.

A video posted by the Just Stop Oil campaign group, which has been holding protests for the last two weeks in the British capital, showed two of its activists on Friday throwing tins of Heinz tomato soup over the painting, one of five versions on display in museums and galleries around the world.

The gallery said the incident had caused minor damage to the frame but the painting was unharmed. It later went back on display.

Click to play video: 'How is climate change impacting our health?'
How is climate change impacting our health?

Police said two women, aged 21 and 20, would appear later at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with “criminal damage to the frame of van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting.”

Story continues below advertisement

Another activist will also appear in court accused of damaging the sign outside the New Scotland Yard police headquarters in central London.

Police said in total 28 people had been arrested during protests on Friday.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Sponsored content

AdChoices