Two JustStopOil protestors who threw at a Van Gogh painting in London have been found guilty of criminal charges.
In October of 2022, two protestors – later identified as Anna Holland and Phoebe Plummer – threw soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflower’ at the National Portrait Gallery. They also stuck their hands to the wall with super glue to avoid getting dragged away. The two were later identified to be associated with the climate change protest group JustStopOil. While there had been few minor incidents of attacks on art for climate activism, this was widely considered the turning point due to the media attention it received. Over the next few months, there were numerous similar attacks on artworks – mostly affiliated with JustStopOil.
At the Southwark Crown Court, Judge Christopher Hehir found the two guilty of criminal actions. He said that “[the duo] came within the width of a pane of glass of destroying one of the most valuable artworks in the world … [they should be] prepared in practical and emotional terms to go to prison.” The damage to the frame of the painting, which itself came from the 17th century, was also brought up by the prosecutors. The court would sentence the two on September 27. Meanwhile, they are eligible for conditional bail – the conditions being that they are not allowed to enter any museum/gallery or carry any adhesive on their person.
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Katie McFadden, who represented Holland and Plummer, expressed disappointment at the verdict: “[the government has] proven that they have a great deal of interest in investing time and money into prosecuting young people trying to fight for the future of themselves and their children.”
