Summarised by Centrist
Two Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists, Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, have been found guilty of criminal damage after throwing tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” at the National Gallery in London. Now the judge is ready to throw the book at them.
The October 2022 protest aimed to highlight the environmental and cost-of-living crises.
Judge Christopher Hehir warned the pair to be “prepared in practical and emotional terms to go to prison” at their sentencing scheduled for late September.
The gallery reported damage to the painting’s gold-coloured frame, though the artwork itself was protected by glass. Plummer and Holland’s bail conditions include prohibitions on carrying glue or paint in public and visiting galleries.
The protest drew attention to the perceived inaction on climate change, with Plummer questioning, “What is worth more, art or life?” Holland’s solicitor, Katie McFadden, expressed disappointment with the verdict and the restrictions on the defendants’ ability to explain their motives.
This incident follows other JSO actions, including a similar protest targeting John Constable’s “The Hay Wain” in July 2022. The National Gallery has yet to comment on the latest verdict.
Image: Mark Morgan
