Editorial

Two Clowns Glue Themselves To Van Gogh Painting In Bizarre Protest

Screenshot/Twitter/euronewsculture

Kay Smythe News and Commentary Writer
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Two climate protesters glued themselves to a Vincent van Gogh painting Thursday in a London gallery.

The protesters glued their hands to the frame of the painting at the Courtauld Gallery in London as they wanted to fight against the art world’s complicity with climate change, Forbes reported. Video footage of the protest was filmed by gallery visitors and shared widely online on Friday, showing the pair wearing custom orange t-shirts.

The pair are Louis McKenchie, 21, and Emily Brocklebank, 24, according to Forbes. The painting they attached themselves to was “Peach Trees in Blossom” from 1889, which van Gogh painted shortly after he cut his own ear off, Fox News reported.

“Sorry everybody, we don’t want to be doing this,” the McKenchie said to other gallery attendees, “we’re here glued to this painting, this beautiful painting, because we’re terrified for our future. We’re here from a group called ‘Just Stop Oil.’ We expect to be arrested today.” The pair said they were protesting the UK government’s work pushing through more than 40 new fossil fuel projects, which they claimed was “like signing our death warrants.”

“My generation has no other choice but to take this kind of action,” he continued. “For 30 years we’ve been outside Parliament with our banners and our flags and for 30 years nothing has gotten done. If there were any other way of getting the change we need, we would’ve done it. We’ve tried everything else.” (RELATED: Hollywood Actor Glued His Hand To Starbucks Counter In Bizarre Protest)

Other members of Just Stop Oil were arrested in an art gallery in Scotland on Wednesday after spray painting the walls and gluing themselves to another painting, Forbes noted. Police reportedly responded to the incident. It is unclear whether the paintings were damaged after either incident, according to Forbes.