climate activists van gogh soup painting
© AFP/Just Stop Oil handoutJust Stop Oil climate campaign group shows activists with their hands glued to the wall under Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers after throwing tomato soup on the painting at the National Gallery in central London on Oct 14, 2022.
Climate activists have once again gone to souper extreme lengths to share their message, this time by vandalizing a painting by artist Vincent van Gogh.

A pair of activists from the group Just Stop Oil splattered tomato soup over Van Gogh's painting Sunflowers on display at London's National Gallery. The two women then proceeded to take glue sticks, rub them onto their hands, and place their glued hands on the wall next to the painting, according to a video posted by the group.

"Human creativity and brilliance is on show in this gallery, yet our heritage is being destroyed by our Government's failure to act on the climate and cost of living crisis," a statement from the group read.

Both protesters have been arrested for criminal damage and aggravated trespass, Metropolitan Police Events stated on social media.

The painting itself dates back to 1888 and is one of five versions of "Sunflowers" on display in museums and galleries across the world, according to the gallery. The activist group claims that the painting has a value of $84.2 million.
Two protesters from the group Just Stop Oil glued themselves to a frame of a Vincent Van Gogh painting at the Courtauld Gallery in London. (all images courtesy Just Stop Oil)
Two protesters from the group Just Stop Oil glued themselves to a frame of a Vincent Van Gogh painting at the Courtauld Gallery in London, June 30, 2022.
Just Stop Oil has been responsible for several other art-related protests this year, as members of the group glued themselves to the frame of the Van Gogh painting Peach Trees in Blossom at the Courtauld Gallery in London. The two protesters were calling for the government to end new oil and gas and asking for art institutions to join them in civil resistance, according to a statement from the group.

On Sunday, two protesters from the international environmental group Extinction Rebellion glued their hands to Picasso's Massacre in Korea painting at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia before they were arrested, according to BuzzFeed.