Two women charged for throwing soup at van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'

AFP / Justin Tallis

Two women have been charged with criminal damage after climate change protesters threw soup over Vincent van Gogh's painting "Sunflowers" at London's National Gallery.

British police said on Saturday.

A video posted by the Just Stop Oil campaign group, which has been holding protests for the last two weeks in the British capital, showed two of its activists on Friday throwing tins of Heinz tomato soup over the painting, one of five versions on display in museums and galleries around the world.

The gallery said the incident had caused minor damage to the frame, but the painting was unharmed. It later went back on display.

Police said two women, aged 21 and 20, would appear later at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with "criminal damage to the frame of van Gogh's Sunflowers painting".

Another activist will also appear in court accused of damaging the sign outside the New Scotland Yard police headquarters in central London.

Police said in total, 28 people had been arrested during protests on Friday.

More from International News

  • Hamas frees three hostages, Israel begins releasing Palestinians

    Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages on Saturday, whose emaciated appearance shocked Israelis following their release on live TV, in the latest stage of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza.

  • 10 people killed in Alaska plane crash

    The US Coast Guard in Alaska found the wreckage of a small plane atop frozen sea ice on Friday, after the aircraft suddenly lost altitude on Thursday and the crash killed all 10 people on board, officials said.

  • US judge pauses plan to put USAID workers on leave

    A US judge has temporarily allowed roughly 2,700 US Agency for International Development employees put on leave by President Donald Trump's administration to go back to work, pausing aspects of a plan to dismantle the agency.

  • Hamas accuses Israel of ceasefire breaches before hostage release

    Hamas accused Israel of multiple breaches of their ceasefire agreement on Friday, a day before the scheduled exchange of three more Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in the latest stage in a fragile deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza.

  • Indian PM Modi to visit US next week

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States from February 12 to 13 and hold talks with President Donald Trump, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday.

On Virgin Radio today

  • Non Stop Hits

    Midnight - 8:00am

    The UAE's #1 Hit Music Station with no interruptions

  • Adam Eddine

    8:00am - 11:00am

    Playing 10 hits in a row every hour, all weekend!

Trending on Virgin Radio