Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested after smashing the glass covering a Diego Velázquez painting at the National Gallery in London, as police detained dozens of others who blocked Whitehall.
Two activists targeted the glass on the Rokeby Venus painting with safety hammers before they were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
The artwork, which was painted by Velázquez in the 1600s, was slashed by the suffragette Mary Richardson in 1914. One of those involved on Monday said: “Women did not get the vote by voting; it is time for deeds not words.”
The Metropolitan police said at least 40 activists who were “slow marching” in Whitehall were also detained and that the road was clear after traffic was stopped for a brief period.
It’s a bit late to start it:
Just Stop Oil protests: Terminal operations suspended and arrests made
And - although I have not been involved with JSO, I was locking on to fuel stations a couple of decades ago, with Greenpeace.
So far that hasn’t done the trick though.
It just seems the art approach makes them look bad. Maybe its time to take a jackhammer to major freeways instead. Dunno if thats better but at least its not completely out of the blue like damaging art.
Reclaim the streets did that on the Westway in London at a demo that I was at back in the '90s. They hid all the gear under gigantic carnival costumes and planted trees in the holes. You couldn’t hear the jackhammers due to the sound system.
It was a great party - and it wasn’t the only time - but that didn’t work either.
I see how we arrived where we are then. Thank you. Though it is rather disheartening. There is a way somewhere.