Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' targeted again with soup

LONDON

Three climate activists on Sept. 27 threw soup over two Vincent van Gogh paintings at the National Gallery in London, just hours after two others were jailed for committing the same act two years ago.

The gallery said "a soup-like substance" had been thrown over "Sunflowers" (1888) and "Sunflowers" (1889) and that three people had been arrested.

The Just Stop Oil group (JSO) said it had staged the "sign of defiance" after two of its activists were jailed earlier on Sept. 27 for throwing soup at the "Sunflowers" (1888) painting in October 2022.

The attacks are the latest in a series of protests by the group, which seeks an end to the extraction and burning of oil, coal and gas, that have prompted an increasingly hard line by the authorities.

Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Anna Holland, 22, were convicted in July of criminal damage after pouring tomato soup over the screen protecting the still life masterpiece. Plummer was on Sept. 27 jailed for two years and Holland for 20 months. Both had pleaded not guilty.

The National Gallery said the jailed protesters caused around £10,000 ($13,420) in damage to the frame but the painting itself was protected by a screen and was unharmed.

Holland and Plummer also glued themselves to the gallery wall during their protest.

Plummer has already spent 58 days on remand in prison for another protest at London's Heathrow Airport in July.

Holland said before she was sentenced that they would not be deterred by prison sentences.

JSO named the supporters in Friday's incident as Phil Green, 24, Ludi Simpson, 71, and Mary Patricia Somerville, 77, confirming they had thrown soup on the art works.

"We will be held accountable for our actions today, and we will face the full force of the law," said Simpson.

"When will the fossil fuel executives and the politicians they've bought be held accountable for the criminal damage that they are imposing on every living thing?" she asked.

The gallery said the incident occurred at 2:30 pm and that the paintings were found to be unharmed after being examined by a conservator.

"We are aiming to reopen the exhibition as soon as possible," it added.