To think this is awful? (Just Stop Oil protesters throwing soup over Van Gogh painting)

[TheCatsPyjamas1]

Just read that some Just Stop Oil protesters have thrown soup over a Van Gogh painting in the National Gallery in London. AIBU to think this is unacceptable?

I fully support the message of the group (investing in environmentally responsible energy rather than fossil fuels, and helping to make society more equal for everyone), but I find their protest methods are awful and risk alienating people who would otherwise support them.

They keep on doing crazy things, and seem to be escalating their action each time they protest. I don’t really know when or how it’ll end.

I'll donate to a fund for protecting the art, and arresting vandals.

investing in environmentally responsible energy rather than fossil fuels, and helping to make society more equal for everyone

That's not what they have been asking, they are asking for an immediate end to fossil fuel production in the UK, thus meaning more imports and more divergence of our own green energy from countries who need to invest in their own. We already have a significant amount of Gilts being brought from international investors due to our energy crisis; that money could be being used to invest in their own countries and renewable energy sources/systems.

I agree climate change is a very urgent matter, but realistically this protest has done nothing and will continue to do nothing, apart from block people accessing services / work / etc. That on top of the fact that 50% of the police from our area are now staffing the protests so we are police officers down.

Police officers down is all fun and games until your loved one is a vulnerable missing person.

They are barking mad. If they glued themselves to something in my gallery (not that I own one) I’d assess how much damage they could reasonably cause and then I’d shut the room, turn off the lights and leave them to it.

They're idiots. I can't imagine anyone will change their minds based on this action, except perhaps more people will hate their organisation than already did.

If it's this or blocking roads, I guess this is better.

Comparing them to the Suffragettes doesn't win them points or make them any more sympathetic, imo. Idiotic behaviour is idiotic no matter what the "cause".

Any publicity is good publicity

It's so weird how people feel quite so threatened by this, I guess it's media brain washing.
It’s not, you just use your common sense.

Ah, but you're clever enough to see through the 'media brainwashing', are you? Well done.

You're right, I'd never heard of Van Gogh before today.

Isn’t it amazing the vitriol aimed at climate protesters who are willing to risk their freedom to fight for a better future for all of us. Where’s the same vitriol for the people who are literally destroying the planet and our children and grandchildren’s futures?

The science is very clear, there should be no new oil and gas. That’s all these people are asking for; that governments follow the science and take reasonable steps to protect the future of the planet.

To all those saying they agree climate change is an issue but don’t like the tactics, please do feel free to share any better ideas because we’re on the precipice of disaster and very little is being done about it.

Hmmm… maybe elect a government that actually cares about climate change and does concrete things to prevent it?

Also, Greta Thunberg is already raising awareness of climate change in a brilliant way - she does it peacefully but forcefully, so people do sit up and take notice. Sadly, she is a divisive figure (I like her though!) Can’t we just have more people like her?

Have you read @OilSlick’s posts? Things are being done.

The biggest impact comes from education, I think.

Flailing a tin of Heinz at an inanimate, beautiful piece of art is moronic.

The best thing that people can do to protect the environment is not have children.

So let's say, you just flipped the switch overnight, no fossil fuels, no power plants operating via fossil fuels, ect how would you decide what's best for restoring energy and energy production ?

ergo, technology and solutions take time.

“What is worth more, art or life?” said one of the activists, Phoebe Plummer

Art is life. Art, literature, and music are the creative expressions of our inner selves. It creates a lasting record of individual human existence and elevates the entire species.

would i destroy a piece of art in a 1-1 exchange for a human life, of course, but this shows no such immediate payoff. The fact that there was glass and no harm was ultimately done does not really matter as the protestors had no guarantee of that protection working.

Excellent points,

Another poster supporting the protesters here.

they’ve done no lasting harm; they’ve drawn attention to a just cause; and they’ve exposed the hypocrisy of a few simpletons. What they’ve done is in the spirit of the suffragettes

the protesters blocking ambulances and suchlike are in a different category because of the damage they do.

Lasting harm, they are trying to vandalize valuable pieces of culture. They should be in front of a judge, soon as possible.

Sorry , this is bollocks. The fact that one of the most famous and valuable pieces of art in existence wasn’t damaged, makes a massive difference.

and there was a near enough guarantee the painting would be fine. Tomato soup tends not to penetrate thick glass in my experience.

unfortunately they are probably the Judge's best mate's children.

Why do you say that? Whenever they’ve been described as gluing themselves to paintings, they’ve actually glued themselves to the frame. It seems to me the evidence suggests they’re trying to avoid damage to the paintings

Erm no. There was a thick - and very obvious - bit of glass protecting the painting. Unless you have information to the effect that soup can penetrate glass, there is zero evidence there were actually trying to harm the painting.

Even current climate targets are insufficient, and we’re not even meeting them. This issue requires urgent and drastic action which we’re just not seeing.

Don’t take my word for it check out the IPCC.

That’s a good point, and I agree with you, but I think what they did today was different, as they actually threw something at the painting itself (yes, it hit the protective glass instead of the painting, but they aimed for the painting).

Up until now, as you say, they’ve glued themselves to frames. That doesn’t damage the painting itself, and is quite ‘precise’ and targeted, in comparison to what they did today.

This latest action of throwing a substance onto a painting is so much less precise - it’s messy, and in theory, some of the soup may leak through the glass onto the painting, for all we know.

Both actions are designed to make a statement, of course, but I think throwing soup at a painting is aggressive and violent, and I don’t support it. I could get behind them when they glued themselves to frames, but to me, this is so much more violent and shocking.

1. no one is suggesting that, they’re asking for no new oil and gas projects.
2. This request is based on clear science. The solutions are there they just need to be implemented.

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