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Daily Record
Daily Record
Lifestyle
Jacob Rawley

Who are Just Stop Oil as activists throw soup over £76m Van Gogh painting

Earlier today activists from Just Stop Oil were arrested in connection with throwing tins of soup over Vincent Van Gogh's famous Sunflowers painting at the National Gallery.

The £76million Van Gogh painting is unlikely to have been damaged, as it was protected by a sheet of glass.

After throwing the soup over the painting, the protestors reportedly glued themselves to the National Gallery wall, with one shouting: "What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? More than justice?

"Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting, or the protection of our planet and people? The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of oil prices. Fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold, hungry families. They can't even afford to heat a tin of soup."

According to the Metropolitan Police, both activists have been arrested for criminal damage and aggravated trespass.

Two supporters of Just Stop Oil have thrown soup over Vincent Van Gogh's painting Sunflowers (Just Stop Oil/SWNS)

Just Stop Oil claims its supporters are engaging in an "act of resistance" against a criminal government and "will not stop" until new oil and gas projects are halted.

This comes amid a fortnight of protest action that is taking place in London - part of a series of high profile demonstrations by climate activists targeting major works of art around the world.

The group has already taken part in a number of protests across the UK - including in Scotland - this year. A post on their official Twitter from today reads: "Keep giving us new oil and gas, and you will keep getting soup."

But who are Just Stop Oil? And what does the group stand for?

Just Stop Oil often spreads its message through Civil Disobedience. (Guy Smallman/Getty images)

Just Stop Oil is a "coalition of groups" that wants to see "all new licenses and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK."

They say that the window to secure a liveable future is "rapidly closing" as a result of climate change, which is why they are demanding immediate and drastic action.

A statement on the Just Stop Oil website reads: "We demand that the UK government makes a statement that it will immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK."

Just Stop Oil spreads its message through Civil Disobedience - the refusal to comply with certain laws considered unjust, as a peaceful form of political protest. They state other groups have had success with similar forms of protest.

The group mostly operates in London, but has members from across the UK. In May of this year, Just Stop Oil supporters carried out the "first action of its kind in Scotland" when as many as 40 activists blockaded an oil terminal in Glasgow.

Supporters did this to disrupt oil supplies from a key Scottish oil terminal in support of their demand that the UK government end new oil and gas projects in the UK.

A month later three young supporters of Just Stop Oil sprayed paint around the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. Two of the supporters also glued themselves to the frame of a 19th century painting by Horatio McCulloch called 'My Heart’s in the Highlands'.

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