After that, protesters in London’s National Gallery plaster themselves to the wall beneath the picture.
Tomato soup was spilled on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London by protesters from Just Stop Oil, according to The Guardian.
Just after 11 a.m., two young members of the climate protest group flung the liquid over the glass-covered painting to the roars, gasps, and screams of “Oh my gosh!” in room 43 of the gallery.
Before glueing themselves to the wall beneath the artwork, one of the gallery’s most priceless pieces, they took off their jackets to show Just Stop Oil T-shirts.
Phoebe Plummer, 21, of London, one of the protestors, asked, “What is worth more, art or life?” Newcastle native Anna Holland, age 20, was with her. Is it more valuable than food? Beyond justice? Are the preservation of an artwork or the preservation of our world and its inhabitants more important to you?
“The cost of living problem is a component of the cost of oil crisis; millions of hungry and chilly families cannot afford fuel. They lack the resources simply to cook a soup tin.
Staff from the National Gallery promptly vacated the space. After the protesters spilled “what looks to be tomato soup” over the painting, “the room was emptied of people, and police were called,” the gallery has since certified that the picture was not damaged. Police are currently on the site. The picture is undamaged, however the frame has some minor damage.
