Two British climate activists were given prison sentences of at least 20 months on Friday for almost destroying Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” by splashing tomato soup on it two years ago.
Phoebe Plummer, aged 23, was given a two-year prison term, whereas Anna Holland, aged 22, was sentenced to 20 months in jail.
In October 2022, the duo hurled two cans of Heinz tomato soup at the artwork in London’s National Gallery and then knelt in front of it. Afterwards, they attached their hands to the wall just below the painting.
Just Stop Oil stated the couple were asking the U.K. government to stop all new oil and gas projects.
In a recent X post, the activist group attributed the ongoing economic crisis and global climate emergency to fossil fuels, questioning: “Does art hold greater value than life?” “Beyond just food?”
In July, a jury convicted the duo of committing criminal damage.
In recent years, Just Stop Oil has organized several attention-grabbing stunts at prominent sporting events and on the transportation systems of Britain. The second piece of art targeted at the National Gallery in 2022 was the attack on “Sunflowers,” following two Just Stop Oil activists who glued themselves to John Constable’s “The Hay Wain.”
The 1888 masterpiece by Van Gogh, painted in Arles in the south of France, remained unharmed in the 2022 attack due to being shielded by protective glass.
Nonetheless, the frame in gold suffered damage totaling $13,000. The museum employees feared that the sauce could have seeped through and resulted in extensive harm to the artwork.
In June, members of the organization sprayed an orange substance on various ancient stones at the famous Stonehenge site in Britain. An online video from the organization captured two activists approaching the ancient stones of the UNESCO World Heritage Site holding what appeared to be fire extinguishers, which they used to spray what the group claimed was “orange paint powder” on the stones. Two individuals were taken into custody.
During the sentencing on Friday, Judge Christopher Hehir warned that the artwork faced the risk of being “severely harmed or potentially ruined” by the two activists.
Hehir had also presided as the judge in Roger Hallam’s case, the co-founder of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, and had given him a five-year sentence.
On Friday, he targeted Plummer.
He accused you of believing that your beliefs justify criminal actions when you want to act on them. “You don’t.”
During the hearing, Plummer, who was self-represented and had admitted guilt, stated that she would receive any verdict with a smile.
She stated that it isn’t only her or her co-defendants being sentenced today, but the very democracy itself.
Plummer was taken into custody for vandalizing departure boards at Heathrow Airport five days after being found guilty in July.
Raj Chada, the lawyer representing Holland, mentioned that the two women made sure the “Sunflowers” painting was guarded by a glass casing before tossing the soup.
A group of Just Stop Oil advocates assembled outside the courthouse, with some displaying posters depicting past historical figures who were imprisoned for their activism.
News Photo by SIMON LEE on Unsplash
