Activists protesting the use of fossil fuels, which climate hysterics claim are making the planet unlivable, have attacked another piece of priceless art in an attempt to bring awareness to the cause of climate change. On Wednesday, two activists representing the group Just Stop Oil attempted to glue themselves to the famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” a 17th-century work by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer that was hanging in a museum in The Hague.
Just Stop Oil was responsible for an attack on Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” earlier this month at the National Gallery in London, and claimed responsibility for an attack on John Constable’s masterpiece “The Hay Wain,” also at the National Gallery.
In May, a climate activist feigned a disability in order to get close to da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” in Paris so that he could throw a pastry at the painting and smear icing all over it.
All the works of art were protected by glass and were not damaged in the various attacks.
“How do you feel when you see something beautiful and priceless being apparently destroyed before your eyes?” one of the latest protesters shouted to the art gallery. “Do you feel outraged? Good!”
“Remember that feeling when you see the planet being destroyed before your very eyes,” the man said.
“This painting is protected by glass — it’s just fine,” he told the clearly outraged museum guests, repeatedly told the man to “shut up” and “get away from there” during the stunt.
“Vulnerable people … they need to be protected,” the hysterical climate protester shouted. “The future of our children is not protected. People in fuel poverty who need to choose between heat and eating are not protected.”
(Wouldn’t there be a lot less “fuel poverty,” though, if more fossil fuels were produced?)
Why has vandalism of priceless works of art become become such a popular tactic for the climate hysterics?
“Yes — art is precious. We share that love deeply. What we want to do is salvage a future where human creativity is still possible. We’re terrifyingly close to losing that, so we have to break the rules. And that means pushing cultural buttons to provoke, challenge and shock. There’s no other way,” claims Just Stop Oil’s website.
“This action makes people confront what is a justified response to the threats we now face, what is sacred and what should we do to protect it…. It enables a conversation — you are outraged about this, where is your outrage of 33 million people in Pakistan losing their livlihoods [sic], 1000 million crabs gone from our oceans, the fire service pushed to breaking point due to 40C heat,” the organization says. “What should we protect, the conditions that allow humanity to make art, to be creative — or the masterpieces that will have no one to gaze on them.”
Judging from the outrage of the museumgoers, the message of the climate hysterics doesn’t seem to be getting through — at least not to art lovers.
Just Stop Oil has dedicated October to various climate protests. Besides the vandalism of art work, they have blocked bridges around the United Kingdom, lain down on streets in order to snarl traffic, and even blocked the mall near Buckingham Palace. They vow to continue fighting until the U.K. bows to their demands — no matter the consequences.
In retaliation, Parliament recently passed a public order bill intended to crack down on the type of traffic-snarling events favored by groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil. The new legislation calls for stiff fines and jail time for protests that threaten “serious disruption or a serious adverse impact on public safety.”
But such measures will not stop the protesting, according to Cameron Ford, a spokesperson for Just Stop Oil.
“Until they put the death sentence as the repercussions for what we’re doing, it won’t deter us, because the alternative to us not getting the change that we’re demanding is death,” Ford said.
“The UK has a history of really fierce grassroots civil resistance. We’re used to that, we know how to stand up against these sorts of things, and we will continue no matter what the law is.”
