Just Stop Oil climate activists jailed after defacing Vincent van Gogh painting

Just Stop Oil activists who threw tomato soup at a Vincent van Gogh painting have been found guilty today of criminal damage. The two climate activists, Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, threw soup at van Gogh’s Sunflowers before glueing their hands to a wall. The protest happened at the National Gallery in central London in October, 2022. Judge Christopher Hehir at Southwark Crown Court warned the activists to be “prepared in practical and emotional terms to go to prison”. During Thursday’s verdict, Judge Hehir stated the pair “came within the width of a pane of glass of destroying one of the most valuable artworks in the world”. The judge also set bail conditions for the two 22-year-olds, which includes not carrying glue, paint or adhesive substances in public places. Holland and Plummer are set to be sentenced on September 27 this year.