Environmental Activists Tried to Vandalize a Van Gogh Painting by Smearing Soup

Protesters from Just Stop Oil spilled tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. Before attaching themselves to the wall beneath the artwork, one of the gallery's most priceless pieces, they took off their coats to show Just Stop Oil T-shirts.

The activists hurl soup upon Van Gogh's sunflowers. Then, protesters at the London National Gallery stick themselves to the wall below an artwork. There were roars, gasps, and an "Oh my god!" yell. Just after 11 a.m., two teenage members of the climate protest group threw the liquid over the glass-covered painting in room 43 of the exhibition.

Staff from the National Gallery promptly vacated the space. After the protestors spilled "what looks to be tomato soup" over the painting, "the room was emptied of people, and police were summoned," the gallery has subsequently certified that the picture was not damaged. Police are now on the site. The picture is undamaged; however, the frame has some minor damage.

The group has been holding sit-down demonstrations on highways in central London over the previous two weeks, angering commuters and drivers. However, Friday's move seemed to be an escalation of its strategies.

There were several angry responses to the demonstration. When Sophie Wright, 43, of Surrey, realized the picture was unlikely to have been irreparably harmed, she decided to alter her mind about the action.

I support the cause, and from what I can see, these actions are demonstrations meant to shock and raise public awareness. "I support them as long as they don't harm or endanger anyone," she said.

However, a witness who wished to remain anonymous stated that while he could understand their motivation, he was concerned about destroying "a wonderful work of art, which embodies the finest of humanity." "They may be attempting to persuade people to think about the issues, but all they succeed in doing is making people incredibly irritated and outraged," he continued.

"The type of person that goes through the National Gallery is not the ordinary ignorant person who doesn't think about the great challenges of the earth,"

A Risky Move

After the room was vacated, Alex De Koning, a representative for Just Stop Oil, met with the Guardian outside the gallery and expressed fear about alienating people from their cause. But, he said, "this is not The X Factor." We're not here to make friends; we're here to bring about change, and regrettably, this is how change happens.

The protestors were detained at a police station in the heart of London after being arrested by Met police officers for criminal trespass and aggravated trespass.

A glass screen protects the painting's canvas, which Just Stop Oil said they considered.

When Van Gogh resided in the south of France, he created one of the most well-known pictures in history. Like many of the Dutch artists' creations, the picture highlights the beauty of commonplace items like flowers, chairs, and shoes. One of the series was sold in 1987 for $39 million.