this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023
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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.

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[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How about we start disrupting oil HQs and distribution centers? I feel like clogging supply chains will get more attention than destroying art.

[–] GreyShuck@feddit.uk 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How about we start disrupting oil HQs and distribution centers?

It's a bit late to start it:

Just Stop Oil protests: Terminal operations suspended and arrests made

And - although I have not been involved with JSO, I was locking on to fuel stations a couple of decades ago, with Greenpeace.

So far that hasn't done the trick though.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It just seems the art approach makes them look bad. Maybe its time to take a jackhammer to major freeways instead. Dunno if thats better but at least its not completely out of the blue like damaging art.

[–] GreyShuck@feddit.uk 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe its time to take a jackhammer to major freeways instead.

Reclaim the streets did that on the Westway in London at a demo that I was at back in the '90s. They hid all the gear under gigantic carnival costumes and planted trees in the holes. You couldn't hear the jackhammers due to the sound system.

It was a great party - and it wasn't the only time - but that didn't work either.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I see how we arrived where we are then. Thank you. Though it is rather disheartening. There is a way somewhere.

[–] Chariotwheel@kbin.social 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Just Stop Oil does that too, but that's not getting media attention. Hence this.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Yeah theres a whole chain down here that explains the history. Sad to say the least.

[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 year ago (22 children)

These are essentially publicity stunts, right? They don't think destroying art will decrease carbon emissions somehow?

[–] KISSmyOS@lemmy.world 33 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Those actions show very clearly that our society cares about damage to paintings more than the destruction of the planet.
That's what they're supposed to show.

Best comment so far. Very well said.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don't necessarily agree that that is what's displayed here. People care about the environment they do but that's not the same as saying we don't want people slashing paintings for no reason we can have both.

It's a completely ridiculous statement to suggest that you can only have one or the other and that in order to save the planet we have to destroy artwork.

[–] KISSmyOS@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

OK, but there's a big difference in the reaction of the people.

They react with anger and "this needs to be stopped, punish those responsible harshly" to slashing paintings, and with resignation or indifference to the actions that destroy the planet. "Oh well, nothing we can do"

[–] Sethayy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

Then maybe a better way to think about it for you would be like this:

Why should we have nice things when we haven't even done the basics? if you give yior kid dessert before dinner, they probably aren't even gonna eat their dinner - people are mammals were naturally lazy.

So what can we do to help it? Not have nice things until were not actively killing ourselves

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[–] GreyShuck@feddit.uk 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It is very clearly about publicity. You can't get any message across unless you get someone's attention in the first place.

In this case, they are playing on the link back to the suffragettes.

[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Seems to me like they're getting a net negative message across since they're seen more as nuts. But I hope someone there has done the sociology analysis to see if it's actually a net positive or negative impact on their cause.

[–] GreyShuck@feddit.uk 11 points 1 year ago

There have been studies on this kind of thing. I don't have the links to hand, but the upshot from the ones that I have seen IIRC is that it doesn't generally cause many people to actually change their views from positive to negative or vice versa, but it does keep the issue in the news.

Of course, in the wider perspective, no protests of this kind are ever going to work alone, but then that's not the idea. They are never going to be happening alone either: there are always going to legal challenges, political movements, consumer pressure, boycotts and so on and so on alongside. The question is, which ones drive which others? Which wouldn't happen without the others?

[–] Number1SummerJam@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (12 children)

I would do anything to stop the climate catastrophe at this point. Good for them.

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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

As far as I can tell they don't have a cohesive goal. In theory yeah they are publicity stunts, but so what? No one really disagrees with them. Most members of the public do agree that climate change is a problem, the issue is corporations and governments.

That’s unfair. Our well paid leaders don’t have a cohesive plan. Let’s hold them to that standard and not the protesters who are actually worried about the future.

[–] Number1SummerJam@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

No art was harmed in the making of this

[–] scytale@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Depends on the art. I think some, especially the very old ones, can deteriorate just by getting exposed to the air.

[–] Number1SummerJam@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Worked for a museum, there is no way they are penetrating that glass

[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's always a risk, art is very delicate.

[–] Number1SummerJam@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Honestly the artists would be on their side

[–] Pat_Riot 0 points 1 year ago

Clairvoyant are you?

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[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 year ago

I dont understand these people. If you have a problem you dont solve it by wrecking art. You have to go straight to the politicians. Stage a protest in front of the capital or something. You have to be more agressive and direct.

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