Just Stop Oil Protesters at the National Gallery Arrested After Smashing Glass Protecting Velázquez's Rokeby Venus Painting

Protestors identified as Hanan, 22, and Harrison, 20, arrested on suspicion of criminal damage; the painting chosen due to its previous slashing by suffragette Mary Richardson in 1914.

Two protesters from the climate justice group 'Just Stop Oil' smashed the glass protecting the famous 17th-century painting 'Rokeby Venus' by Diego Velázquez at London's National Gallery.
The activists, identified as Hanan, 22, and Harrison, 20, used safety hammers to break the glass, echoing a similar act of protest in 1914 when suffragette Mary Richardson slashed the same painting.
Following the act, the protesters addressed gallery visitors, linking their actions to the failure of politics and calling for an end to new oil and gas licenses.
The Metropolitan Police arrested the two activists on suspicion of criminal damage, and the painting has been removed from display for examination by conservators.
This act of protest is part of a broader series of actions by Just Stop Oil, including disrupting major sporting events, attacking other artworks, and obstructing traffic in downtown London.