Just Stop Oil, well-known for provocative protests such as throwing soup at renowned artworks, has declared a new direction as it claims victory in influencing fossil fuel policy in the UK.
Changing Course: Just Stop Oil Activists Signal Shift in Protesting Strategy
Changing Course: Just Stop Oil Activists Signal Shift in Protesting Strategy
British environmental group Just Stop Oil announces an end to its museum protests following the achievement of its main goal related to fossil fuel licensing.
Just Stop Oil, the British activist group previously recognized for provocative protests, including soup-throwing incidents involving iconic artworks, is set to retire its museum-based demonstrations. The organization announced that it has successfully met its primary objective: halting new oil and gas licensing in Britain. As they prepare for a shift in tactics, a final protest in London is planned for next month.
“Achieving what we set out to achieve has reinvigorated our momentum,” stated James Skeet, a spokesperson for Just Stop Oil, in a recent interview. The group, which gained notoriety around 2022, is well-known for stirring public attention through various attention-grabbing acts. Among these were incidents where they hurled tomato soup at Van Gogh’s "Sunflowers," glued themselves to "The Hay Wain" by John Constable, and shattered the protective glass of Velázquez's “Rokeby Venus.”
Their considered choice of protests aimed to underscore the pressing nature of the climate crisis and to spotlight the social and political reform necessary to confront it head-on. Interestingly, the activists have emphasized that their actions did not inflict damage on the artworks themselves. Instead, they deliberately targeted pieces that were safeguarded by glass; nonetheless, critics have raised concerns over potential harm to long-standing frames surrounding these masterpieces.
The group intends to regroup and devise new strategies going forward, marking a significant transition in their activism as they aim to maintain the momentum in their fight against climate change.
“Achieving what we set out to achieve has reinvigorated our momentum,” stated James Skeet, a spokesperson for Just Stop Oil, in a recent interview. The group, which gained notoriety around 2022, is well-known for stirring public attention through various attention-grabbing acts. Among these were incidents where they hurled tomato soup at Van Gogh’s "Sunflowers," glued themselves to "The Hay Wain" by John Constable, and shattered the protective glass of Velázquez's “Rokeby Venus.”
Their considered choice of protests aimed to underscore the pressing nature of the climate crisis and to spotlight the social and political reform necessary to confront it head-on. Interestingly, the activists have emphasized that their actions did not inflict damage on the artworks themselves. Instead, they deliberately targeted pieces that were safeguarded by glass; nonetheless, critics have raised concerns over potential harm to long-standing frames surrounding these masterpieces.
The group intends to regroup and devise new strategies going forward, marking a significant transition in their activism as they aim to maintain the momentum in their fight against climate change.
