Just Stop Oil, the environmental group that dropped tomato soup on The sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh as a protest to stop oil projects in Britain, appeared in court on October 15 in London, England, on charges of criminal damage.
The two women allegedly responsible pleaded not guilty during two brief hearings at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
After throwing two cans of tomato soup at van Gogh’s oil painting on October 14, the protesters were removed and taken into custody.
Despite the ostentatious images, a gallery spokesman confirmed that the painting produced in the late 1880s was not damaged.
There is minor damage to the frame, but the paint is unharmed.
NOW | 🔴
Shock in the world art community after activists from the Just Stop Oil campaign in London threw soup on the painting “Sunflowers”, one of the most famous by painter Vincent Van Gogh at the National Gallery in the British capital 🇬🇧#The National pic.twitter.com/WaGcsYHniE
– The National (@elnacionalpy) October 14, 2022
Although the damage was minor, the painting was covered with glass, cleaned and returned to the National Gallery on Friday afternoon.
Just Stop Oil has drawn attention for attacking works of art in museums, blocking bridges and intersections across London. Unfortunately, their efforts have been of little use, since the London government seems to have made a decision in the face of the shortage of oil and other fuels.
As for the young women, aged 20 and 21, they pleaded not guilty during the two brief hearings held at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court and the measures that the authority has imposed on them are still unknown.