Soup on painting – British climate activists not in court until 2024

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The two climate activists who spilled tomato soup on a Vincent van Gogh painting will not face trial until mid-July 2024. The reason is a huge backlog in the British judiciary.

The activists, who were 20 and 21 years old at the time of the campaign, threw canned tomato soup at Van Gogh’s famous sunflower painting in October. They then knelt in front of the artwork in London’s National Gallery and taped their hands to the wall. While the work itself was undamaged, the frame was slightly damaged. The painting, with an estimated value of around 84 million euros, was protected by a pane of glass.

Activists plead not guilty
The two women from the Just Stop Oil organization were charged with destruction of property. They denied the allegation at Southwark Crown Court on Monday. “The judge must dismiss the case,” they said. Britain is not a functioning state. The defendants would act to protect society “already affected by dangerous extreme weather events”.

Other Just Stop Oil members have already been imprisoned. The sunflowers damaged by the soup inspired similar actions around the world: in Potsdam, for example, mashed potatoes were thrown onto a painting, in oil from Vienna, in Canadian maple syrup. Public reactions were often negative. Even people who support climate protection criticize the actions and fear defensive reactions or a dichotomy between the cultural sector and climate protectionists. “It’s definitely a risk,” says protest researcher James Ozden of the Social Change Lab. However, the activists managed to draw attention to the subject at all.

Further actions possible
“Just Stop Oil” is demanding an immediate halt to the granting of new oil and gas production licenses from the London government. The group does not rule out future actions. “Disturbances and civil resistance are often unpopular as they unfold – it is only in the years that follow that people look back and understand that the actions were necessary and justified,” the group said.

Source: Krone

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