Two activists arrested after Rokeby Venus artwork targeted, as dozens of others held after blocking Whitehall

Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested after smashing the glass covering a Diego Velázquez painting at the National Gallery in London, as police detained dozens of others who blocked Whitehall.

Two activists targeted the glass on the Rokeby Venus painting with safety hammers before they were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

The artwork, which was painted by Velázquez in the 1600s, was slashed by the suffragette Mary Richardson in 1914. One of those involved on Monday said: “Women did not get the vote by voting; it is time for deeds not words.”

The Metropolitan police said at least 40 activists who were “slow marching” in Whitehall were also detained and that the road was clear after traffic was stopped for a brief period

  • kralk@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    57
    arrow-down
    9
    ·
    1 year ago

    Drawing a direct line up the suffragettes is genius. History will prove them right

    • HeartyBeast@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      41
      arrow-down
      20
      ·
      1 year ago

      Hardly anyone argues again their cause being right. I’m not sure history will show that their campaign did much else than promote the misguided view that environmentalists are arseholes

      • SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        33
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        …a lot of people do argue against their cause, though, is the thing. We cannot wait for change to happen, we gotta force some hands.

        • DavidOwie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          1 year ago

          This isn’t forcing anyone’s hand. It just makes environmentalists look like assholes. Sure, shitting your pants in the name of whatever movement is a statement, but it’s not likely it’s one the rest want to make nor is it gonna do any good.

      • Lols [they/them]@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        14
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        people constantly argue against their cause being right, because their cause is we need to work on fixing the problems as much as possible and governments are not doing that