Activists of "Just Stop Oil" glue their hands to the partition aft throwing crockery astatine a van Gogh's coating "Sunflowers" astatine the National Gallery successful London, Britain October 14, 2022.
Just Stop Oil | Reuters
LONDON — Two activists from run radical Just Stop Oil were arrested Friday aft throwing herb crockery connected Vincent Van Gogh's celebrated "Sunflowers" painting, which hangs successful the National Gallery successful London.
The protesters past glued themselves to the partition adjacent to the painting.
"What is worthy more, creation oregon life? Is it worthy much than food? Worth much than justice? Are you much acrophobic astir the extortion of a coating oregon the extortion of our satellite and people? The outgo of surviving situation is portion of the outgo of lipid crisis, substance is unaffordable to millions of cold, bare families. They can't adjacent spend to vigor a tin of soup," 1 activistic said, arsenic video footage of the events shows.
According to the London Metropolitan Police, specialists removed the 2 women from the partition and they person been taken into custody aft being arrested for "criminal harm and aggravated trespass."
A Just Stop Oil activistic is arrested aft Van Gogh's sunflowers had crockery thrown connected it astatine the National Portrait Gallery connected October 14, 2022 successful London, England.
Martin Pope | Getty Images
A spokesperson for the National Gallery confirmed that determination was nary harm to the painting, which has an estimated worth of £72.5 cardinal ($80.99 million).
"There is immoderate insignificant harm to the framework but the coating is unharmed," they told CNBC.
Just Stop Oil person been protesting successful the U.K.'s superior for the past 2 weeks. In a property release, the radical said its actions were "in effect to the government's inaction connected some the outgo of surviving situation and the clime crisis."
The radical besides said that it is demanding that the U.K. authorities enactment an extremity to each caller lipid and state projects successful the country.
Earlier this month, the U.K.'s North Sea Transition Authority, which is successful complaint of maximizing the country's economical gains from lipid and state reserves successful the North Sea, began awarding caller licenses for companies conducting underwater fossil substance exploration.
The issuance of specified licenses had antecedently been enactment connected clasp successful 2020 arsenic the authorities said it was establishing a "climate compatibility check." After being elected premier curate successful September, Conservative person Liz Truss and her concern and vigor curate Jacob Rees-Mogg announced that the process would resume.
Just Stop Oil protestors artifact the St George's Circus roundabout successful South London connected October 13, 2022 successful London, England.
Guy Smallman | Getty Images
The caller government has besides lifted its prohibition connected fracking, which was implemented successful 2019 implicit concerns that it was causing earthquakes.
The moves were tied to the vigor situation that has taken clasp of Europe pursuing Russia's penetration of Ukraine.
They person received wide disapproval from biology groups, including Greenpeace, arsenic good arsenic politicians from the absorption Labour party.