An incident where two activists from the "Just Stop Oil" (JSO) group were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage at the National Gallery in London. The glass protecting the Rokeby Venus painting, created by Diego Velazquez in the 1600s, was smashed using safety hammers. This painting had previously been slashed by suffragette Mary Richardson in 1914.
Around 100 JSO protesters were also arrested after staging a slow march on Whitehall. The group stated that their actions were aimed at raising awareness about the impact of new oil and gas exploration and its potential to harm millions of people. They emphasized the need for immediate action to address climate change and criticized the failure of political efforts.
There were initial reports that the activists had targeted the Cenotaph war memorial, which drew criticism from politicians. However, both the group and the police denied these claims. Instead, the protesters stated that they had been moved to the base of the monument after blocking traffic on Whitehall.
The arrests were made under section 7 of the Public Order Act, which allows for the arrest of individuals whose actions interfere with key national infrastructure. Human rights group Liberty criticized the use of this new power as an attack on the right to protest, with potential penalties of up to one year in prison for protesters.
JSO has been conducting a series of protests in recent days, including blocking Earl's Court Road, to draw attention to environmental concerns related to oil and gas exploration.