LONDON –
Two climate change protesters were arrested after clinging to the frame of a famous John Constable painting hanging in Britain’s National Gallery, London’s central museum and police said.
The pair, from the Just Stop Oil protest group, scaled a rope barrier on Monday and covered the Hay Cart with large sheets of paper depicting an “apocalyptic vision of the future” of the landscape. They then each placed a hand on the frame of the oil painting and protested as security officers led out tourists and a group of students.
“The painting has been removed from the wall to be examined by our conservation team,” the National Gallery said afterwards. “‘The Hay Wain’ suffered minor damage to its frame and there was also some destruction of the varnish surface on the painting – both of which have now been successfully repaired.”
The National Gallery said the painting was re-hung on Tuesday.
Just Stop Oil, which wants the government to stop licensing new oil and gas projects, said their version of Constable’s 1821 painting of a rural landscape showed “how oil will destroy our nature”. Their photo shows pollution on the horizon and an old car dumped in front of the mill in the picture.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to a protest at the National Gallery on Monday afternoon. He said two people were arrested.
The protest came after Just Stop Oil campaigners targeted other UK art galleries last week and disrupted Sunday’s British Grand Prix by sitting on the track during a stoppage of the Formula 1 race.
Police said six people were charged with conspiracy to cause a public disturbance during the race.
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