Just Stop Oil threatens to increase protests by destroying art

• Just Stop Oil protesters threaten to “intensify” by cutting iconic artworks.
• Climate activists want England captain Harry Kane to wear an armband in Qatar.
• Gang blocks roads, sprayed orange paint on buildings, and defaced iconic artworks.

Just Stop Oil protesters threaten to “intensify” by cutting iconic artworks.

Climate campaigners want England captain Harry Kane to wear an armband with their message at the World Cup in Qatar.

In their campaign of direct action, the gang has blocked roads, sprayed orange paint on buildings, and defaced iconic artworks.

Demonstrators threw soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and fastened themselves to the frames of many masterpieces, causing one art critic to call them “morons.”

lex De Koning, the spokesman for Just Stop Oil, said it was “crazy” that “more people are horrified” about campaigners targeting artwork than the Pakistan floods, which uprooted millions.

The 24-year-old “climate expert” told Sky News that protesters may “violently shred paintings to get their message across.”

Mary Richardson assaulted Diego Velazquez’s The Rokeby Venus with a butcher cleaver in 1914.

Later that year, suffragette Anne Hunt vandalized a painting of gallery trustee Thomas Carlyle.

Mr. De Koning said Just Stop Oil’s targeting of iconic art signified a “escalation” and warned it will “continue to rise” unless the government stops future gas and oil projects.

He said: “We’ll take inspiration from prior great revolutions if things need to escalate.

“If that’s the case, so be it.

Why wouldn’t we fight for our lives?

When asked if future protests could involve slashing artwork, the representative said, “Yes.”

Hannah Hunt and Eden Lazarus are accused of damaging John Constable’s The Hay Wain.

The two fastened themselves to the painting’s frame and added a “apocalyptic future vision.”

Just Stop Oil protester imprisoned for attaching himself to Van Gogh in London exhibition.

A judge decided the 18th-century frame was “permanently damaged” by the action, and Louis McKechnie and Emily Brocklebank were jailed for three weeks.

Just Stop Oil activists “won’t be scared by prison,” added Mr. De Koning.

“In prison, you have three meals, shelter, and water,” he remarked.

Who knows if that’s true for millions in 20 years.

In recent months, climate activists have targeted iconic artworks.

In Germany, fossil fuel protesters tossed mashed potatoes at Monet’s Les Meules.

In Australia, two climate activists glued themselves to Picasso’s Massacre in Korea.

Waldemar Januszczak called Just Stop Oil’s soup-throwing action “pathetic.”

Twitter: “Take it out on oil companies, you morons, not innocent art.”

Bob Geldof said the protesters’ actions were “1,000% right” and it was “smart” to deface the picture while it was behind glass.

Mr. De Koning said the prank “sparked international conversations” that art demonstrations are “probably” more effective than roadblocks.

Ph.D. student at Newcastle University: “It got a lot of people talking about the climate catastrophe”

“Protesting outside the Chinese consulate and other actions get no coverage.

Because the painting was undamaged, there was both support and disagreement.

Mr. De Koning refused to reveal who recommended climate demonstrators target art, citing “legal grounds.”

No one is considered to be guiding the operations of organizations like Germany’s Last Generation and the UK’s Just Stop Oil.

TIME calls Margaret Klein Salamon the protesters’ worldwide architect.

She directs The Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), which distributes effluent donors’ money to “encourage disruptive protest.”

She assured the magazine that the CEF doesn’t sponsor anything unlawful with its $35,000-$80,000 donations.

Ms. Salamon said disruptive protests “wake us up”

“We’re stepping off a cliff by following the norms and normalcy,” she remarked.

Mr. De Koning said protestors didn’t feel guilty about defacing paintings “It’s bad. Yes, we shouldn’t do it.

“Why would students, grandparents, engineers, doctors, and nurses do that? Our government is criminal.”

If future oil and gas projects aren’t stopped, “millions more people will die and can’t enjoy art,” he said.