Just Stop Oil activists have thrown tomato soup over Van Gogh’s masterpiece Sunflowers at the National Gallery.
Two women walked into a room at the gallery in Trafalgar Square at about 11am, the campaign group said.
They threw the contents of two tins of Heinz tomato soup over the famous 1888 painting, which has an estimated value of £72.5m.
They then appeared to glue one hand each to the wall below the painting, before one shouted: “What is worth more? Art or life?
“Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice?”
It’s the 14th day of demonstrations linked to the group – which wants the government to stop all new oil and gas licences.
The protester continued: “Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting? Or the protection of our planet and people?
“The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of oil crisis.
“Fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold hungry families. They can’t even afford to heat a tin of soup,” she added, brandishing a tin.
Gasps and and exclamations of “oh my gosh!” and “security” ran out from onlookers as the soup hit the painting.
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