Climate activists cover Andy Warhol work with flour in Milan

MILAN

Climate activists threw flour over a car repainted by American artist Andy Warhol in Milan on Nov. 18, part of a wave of environmental protests demanding action on climate change.

Four activists from the Last Generation group poured eight kilos (17.6 pounds) of flour over the colorful 1979 BMW M1 on display at the Fabbrica del Vapore, a cultural center hosting a retrospective of the pop-art master.

Two activists were then seen being dragged away by security guards as two others in the group glued their hands to the floor, according to video images.

“Works of art have been targeted in order to highlight the hypocrisy of our society’s values: do we really get outraged at the simulation of damage to works of art while the ongoing objective destruction of works of nature, ecosystems and our own lives leaves us indifferent?” wrote Last Generation in a statement.

Similar actions were taking place in four other countries, the activists said. The protest comes two weeks after the same group hurled pea soup at a Van Gogh painting in Rome - part of a wave of demonstrations in Europe by climate activists targeting artworks, including Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” in The Hague, and Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in London.