Overview

• 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.