Two young climate activists, Phoebe Plummer (23) and Anna Holland (22), were sentenced to prison by a London court on Friday for their involvement in a protest where they threw soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s iconic “Sunflowers” painting. Plummer received a two-year sentence, while Holland was handed a 20-month term. The activists, both part of the environmental group Just Stop Oil, carried out the protest in October 2022 as part of a larger campaign against the use of fossil fuels.
The protesters poured tomato soup on the protected painting at the National Gallery in London, causing over $13,000 in damage to its frame, though the painting itself remained unharmed due to a protective glass cover. The protest, which included gluing themselves to the wall beneath the artwork, was aimed at drawing attention to the climate crisis and the dangers of continued fossil fuel reliance.
Judge Christopher Hehir strongly condemned their actions, emphasizing that they risked damaging a “cultural treasure.” In addition to the painting protest, Plummer faced further sentencing for her role in a separate “slow march” protest that disrupted traffic in west London in 2023. The judge criticized the activists for believing their cause justified committing crimes, adding, “You do not have the right to damage property.”
This case is part of a broader legal response in the UK to climate activists who have staged increasingly disruptive protests. Just Stop Oil and its ally group, Extinction Rebellion, have been at the center of demonstrations calling for stronger action against fossil fuels. Recent laws granting authorities greater powers to crack down on such protests, even peaceful ones, have drawn criticism from rights groups and international observers. The UN’s special rapporteur on environmental defenders, Michael Forst, has voiced concerns, describing the enforcement of these laws as “punitive and repressive.”
Despite the harsh sentences, Just Stop Oil remained undeterred, with three more activists throwing soup on other Van Gogh paintings at the National Gallery just hours after the court’s decision.