Two activists arrested after Rokeby Venus artwork targeted, as dozens of others held after blocking Whitehall
Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested after smashing the glass covering a Diego Velázquez painting at the National Gallery in London, as police detained dozens of others who blocked Whitehall.
Two activists targeted the glass on the Rokeby Venus painting with safety hammers before they were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
The artwork, which was painted by Velázquez in the 1600s, was slashed by the suffragette Mary Richardson in 1914. One of those involved on Monday said: “Women did not get the vote by voting; it is time for deeds not words.”
The Metropolitan police said at least 40 activists who were “slow marching” in Whitehall were also detained and that the road was clear after traffic was stopped for a brief period
lol not this shit again. what was the group of people that were slashing the tires of SUVs to “save the planet”?
I don’t believe that was the same group, but I’m fairly certain that protest just involved leaving a note on the windshield and using a lentil to deflate the tires. Their notes did touch in the environmental impact of SUVs, but from what I recall the notes focused on the negative impacts that SUVs have in cities. Such as the skyrocketing number of pedestrian deaths we are seeing.