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.
This isn’t trying to get people to join the cause, it’s a show of force. This is what we’re capable of, and we’re not backing down until we get what we want.
Anyone is capable of sneaking a hammer into an art gallery, if that’s what they’re capable of, the people in power have nothing to fear.
If you start getting into higher capability demonstrations, you very quickly get into terrorism territory.