Vandalism

volver

^should be punished in accordance with the law.^

Yes they should. Which doesn't mean leaving them to starve or inflicting physical pain.

Actually, it might be better to give them the option of getting out of the glue situation by themselves when they choose to do it, even providing the necessary glue solvent for them and filming them doing it.

Then they need to either work on or pay for the restoration of the floor and the clean up of their mess. A criminal conviction that will affect their job prospects and makes their cause look stupid? Why do it?

They think it’s their way only.

Like every protester, ever, in the history of the world. ??

volver

I mean, for goodness sake.

Do you really think that the most expensive painting in the world is just plonked there within soup throwing distance of the general public and with no protective measures?

As for "its more food waste."

World's gone mad. It was a tin of soup, not all the grain stores of Ukraine. Get some perspective. ( WWM2, was van Gogh good at perspective?)

I don’t think Van Gogh was mainly concerned with correct representation, he tended to use colours and and form to convey what he felt, and he hoped that others would feel the same.

It was the wall.

The Met win twitter for today:

Officers were rapidly on scene at the National Gallery this morning after two Just Stop Oil protesters threw a substance over a painting and then glued themselves to a wall. Both have been arrested for criminal damage & aggravated trespass. Officers are now de-bonding them.

Wall, floor, whatever. I’d like them to have been left to get themselves out of the situation-with suitable solvent provided.

Whitewavemark2

Well, I wouldn’t go that far??, they would definitely be grounded for a good while.

The painting will be cleaned with little problem, so it may be they knew that but have got the publicity they crave.

Well, they've grounded themselves, haven't they. Leave them there (I'd give them some water).

The trouble in my opinion is that they know they will be handled with kid gloves by the woke police and get let off of with a slap on the hand. Although personally I think this time they have gone to far and will be sentenced according (I live on hope).

I don't agree with their methods but can understand why young people are angry for change.

The people who do this know they will be arrested and potentially charged. They do it anyway because they feel so strongly about this. All this 'woke police' stuff is incorrect. Over the last weekend of protests over 100 people were arrested and charged,

Every time this kind of subject comes up I ask the questions, 'What protest action would we approve from these people on this issue?' and 'What could they do which would change our mind?' Nobody has ever answers.

I agree RichmondPark1. A friend of mine is an environmental activist and currently in prison for her protesting. She's a normal mum of 2 who is worried about the world being left for her children.

“What could they do which would change our mind?” I don’t have an answer to this, but this particular incident has infuriated me by it’s pointlessness. Yes, it’s got them lots of publicity, but going by the majority of comments on here, Mumsnet and Twitter, I’m not alone in having that opinion.
GagaJo I think it’s appalling that anyone is sent to prison for protesting unless of course other people/animals are harmed or injured during that protest. I don’t have an answer as to what a suitable punishment would be, but a prison sentence isn’t imo.

The Gallery said the painting was undamaged. Presumably tomato soup washes off easily. This kind of protest is probably to be preferred over obstructing the highway, causing problems for ambulances, mothers taking disabled children to school, etc.