Hello, everyone!
So, there seems to be a curious trend that is sweeping the world, especially Europe: climate activists throwing food at famous paintings.
I kid you not, climate activists are hurdling food at works by Monet and van Gogh, to attract attention to climate change.
It all started when the Mona Lisa was caked in the face in May, with a protester smothering the glass protecting the historic painting. During the slightly ridiculous crime, the man was recorded shouting about people who were destroying the planet, and “that’s why I did it.”
Other activists began to take notice, and soon a van Gogh received a can of tomato soup, and a Monet was attacked with mashed potatoes. The latter two also glued themselves to the wall next to the painting, and the soup-warriors were visibly associated with the group “Just Stop Oil,” a vocal anti-petroleum youth group.
Not only this, but some protestors have eliminated the food aspect of the protests and glued themselves to a painting’s frame in London. They, again, displayed their support for Just Stop Oil. Smaller protests have cropped up all around Europe, as well, all of which have allegedly resulted in at least 576 arrests. Demonstrators have blockaded roadways, raided a soccer stadium, stormed oil facilities, and chained themselves to vehicles.
It seems clear that these protests have spawned from a deep frustration with the state of climate change. It’s not getting any better, and in fact, emissions are at an all-time high in some places. Ignorance to the issue runs rampant, and many policymakers in the US either forget about it, deny its existence, or make inadequate attempts to find a solution. It certainly seems that entire countries, who know everything that’s at stake, fill their climate pledges with empty promises and far-flung plans. We aren’t anywhere near an international solution, and there isn’t much time left before the effects become irreversible. It must seem to climate change activists that years of lobbying, petitions, marches and civil disobedience have achieved little, or at least, not enough. Traditional efforts haven’t worked on the scale they need to. On the other hand, these radical new approaches have garnered significant media attention, though the trend has faded slightly since the elections. Popular news outlets reported on it, and there have been dozens of articles addressing the craze.
So the question is: did it work?
To be honest, no one really knows the answer. Yes, climate activists have now appeared on the media, but the reason may be a superficial one. After all, people chucking mashed potatoes at a painting and gluing themselves to the streets are certainly eye-catching headlines. Some people are arguing that this method of protest is bringing more attention to climate activism than traditional methods ever did. Carla Hinrichs, a spokesperson for Just Stop Oil, shared her opinion on it. “I realized it was genius,” Ms. Hinrichs said. “People get shocked, and then this window opens where they start listening.” But are they truly understanding the bigger picture? It’s too soon to tell for sure. In the UK, (where the majority of these protests have occurred) responses are highly varied. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly argued on twitter that people should “stop giving these attention seeking adult-toddlers the coverage they clearly crave.” In an interview the day after she appeared in court for her actions, one of the tomato-soup warriors explained her reasoning. “I recognize that it looks like a slightly ridiculous action, I agree; it is ridiculous. But we’re not asking the question if everyone should be throwing soup on paintings. What we’re doing is getting the conversation going so we can ask the questions that matter.” She also insisted that they had no intent to damage the painting, and only committed the crime after verifying it was covered in protective glass (which sustained minimal damage).
For better or for worse, whether these people are attention-seekers or genuine climate activists, one Irish musician sums it up nicely. “They’re not killing anyone,” he said,
“Climate change will.”