A pair of climate activists defaced a portrait of King Charles III at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh.
On Wednesday, the two climate activists, later identified to be part of the group This Is Rigged, entered the gallery. Soon after, they defaced the portrait of King Charles III with neon pink spray paint. They also wrote the words “The people are mightier than the lord” on the painting. The phrase is a popular one, used by the Highland Land League while fighting for the land rights of the peasants in the late 19th century.
The two protestors immediately glued their hands to the floor after defacing the portrait. One of them said: “Why does the Scottish government think it’s acceptable to keep allowing new oil and gas projects to go ahead, to not even opposing them? If we want a future—if the Scottish government want young people to have a future—they need to oppose all new oil and gas licenses.” The two were arrested later. The gallery section of the museum was closed for the day, though a spokesperson said that no damage was done to the actual portrait.
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It must be noted that King Charles III has long advocated for environmental issues and urged actions against climate change. He was also shortly the Duke of Edinburgh – a title previously held by his father Prince Philip for 74 years, and currently held by his brother, Prince Edward. However, the Scotland government has faced criticism for ignoring environmental concerns and their continued reliance on fossil fuels.
